The things we do
by this-is-SPARTA
Summary: A call from her father turns Brennan's life around and makes her realise things about herself along the way.
1. blood and photos

A/N: I've read so much Bones Fanfic that this plot came to me and won't let me do anything else but write. this is my first Bones fic and it's not betaed so feel free to grill me on my spelling and grammar. It will obviously be BB all the way and more intense if all goes as i plan it. reveiws alwasy welcome but not mandatory, read for readings sake i say ;)

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Temperance Brennan was miserable. Her expression remained impassive as she inconspicuously watched the couple seated in a private booth at the back of the room but her insides burned with rage and jealousy. Special Agent Seely Booth sat huddled with his latest leggy-blonde talking in hushed intimate tones as they awaited the arrival of their food. Brennan cursed under her breath admonishing herself once again for deciding to have dinner here instead of her usual Wong Foo's. _It was __all his__ fault, _she thought sullenly, "_Branch out," he said. "Break your routine," he said. The one time I actually decide to take his advice__ and OF COURSE I had to end up in__ the same place as him and Barbie over there." _Sulking she downed the last of her beer before paying her bill and leaving so she wouldn't have to suffer seeing his 'charm smile' aimed at someone else for an entire evening. She was grateful they were too wrapped up in one another to notice her sitting alone by the bar, nor did they notice her leave and just as well. Tomorrow she could slip behind the mask of indifference that she had hid behind for the last three years that she and Booth had been partners and no one would be the wiser that she was dying inside. She would have her supposed obliviousness to fall back onto so that she could avoid the inevitable pain relationships caused. The drive home was a short one but she turned on the radio to the highest volume in an attempt to drown out her thoughts which threatened to overwhelm her logic and insist she turn the car around and go running to him, the leggy-blonde be damned. She had just reached her door when she heard her house phone ringing from beyond the heavy oak. Brennan dug in her jean pockets for her keys, her usually deft hands fumbling in her rush but nevertheless she got the door open and was at the phone by about the fourth ring.

"Brennan." She answered anchoring the phone to her ear as she dropped her keys on the table and shed her coat. The voice on the other end made her freeze in the process.

"I need you to listen to me..." came the hurried voice of Max Keenan.

"Dad?" Brennan asked even though she knew it was him, his voice had haunted her ever since the day she watched him and Russ drive away from her, again.

"Temperance you need to listen to me, you're in danger. I need you to lay low for a while."

"What? Why?"

"There's no time to explain, but you need to get out of DC, get on a plane to anywhere until I sort this out."

"Sort this out? The last time you sorted anything out the Deputy Director of the FBI was strung up and burnt to death!"

"I did what had to be done; you have to understand I was making sure you were safe but this time I can't protect you. I come anywhere near DC, I'm as good as dead and I'm not only talking about the warrant that the FBI has on my head. Now do as I say and get out of town while I deal with this."

"What makes you think after all you've done to me that you have any right to order me around or have any say about what I do. If you will not tell me why I'm in danger this conversation is over." As she made to remove the phone from her ear her father's hurried voice sounded once more.

"You don't understand, I still have many enemies out there and one in particular has been recently paroled. He is not above using you to get to me, so until I find out where he is and what his plans are I need to know you're safe. These are very dangerous men Temperance."

"Well I don't scare easy and I refuse to turn my life upside down based on a whim, especially yours. I go with facts and the fact is that you don't know this man's intention be it malevolent or otherwise. Besides I can take care of myself, I have done for fifteen years but you wouldn't know about that now would you?" With that she hung up staring at the phone as if it would jump out and attack her. His voice, the voice of the man she had been so desperate to find for the last fifteen years of her life still echoing in her head. Her Temper hand gotten the better of her and now she would probably never hear his voice again, the voice that could give her all the answeres that she craved.

Pulling her coat back on she picked up her keys once more and was out the door without a second thought. She needed to get away, to think, about everything. It was all just too much, after two years of silence her father decides to pick up the phone to order around like she was five years old. It was ridiculous, how dare he? She ignored the part of her that was deeply touched that he still cared enough to try and warn her, that thought did nothing for her so it was pushed aside. Brennan stormed down the road not knowing where she was going, her feet working on their own. Blinded by frustration she was surprised when she found herself in a nearby park and she sat with a huff on a cold bench in the deserted grounds. Try though she might to avoid it a seed of doubt and apprehension planted itself in her mind and took firm hold. What if her father was right? What if she was in danger? She shook it off the best she could, the thought was ridiculous, wasn't it? More frustrated than ever she let her head roll back and stared unseeingly at the star-flecked inky blackness of the sky above her. She remained like that for hours, her thoughts running in a constant loop.

When she had eventually gotten home sleep had not come easy and the dark circles under her eyes were a testament to it the next day. Of course Booth had noticed, he always noticed, especially when she didn't want him to. Brennan had no intention of telling him about her father's phone call or the non existed threat on her, his alpha male tendencies were barley tolerable as it was.

"Geez Bones you look beat!" he announced as he swiped his card and entered the platform.

"Your powers of observation astound me as always Booth." She snapped, brining a femur under the magnifying glass to examine it, skilfully avoiding his eyes.

"Sleep deprivation sure makes you cranky Bones." Without looking up she knew he wore that sexy charm smile of his, the one that made her knees week and it was for that reason she examined the femur with renewed vigour.

"And why is Brennan sleep deprived?" Angela Montenegro asked as she came up behind the pair sketchbook hugged tightly to her chest. "Was there a hot guy involved?" Angela's eyebrows wiggled with the insinuation.

"No," Brennan replied nonchalantly. "But if you two insist on knowing, I had an idea for the chapter I've been working on and I wanted to get it down before I forgot it. It just took a little longer than I expected." That was her lie and she was sticking with it.

"So do I get to read it this time?" Booth asked an expectant puppy dog look on his face.

Brennan rolled her eyes, they had this conversation every time she mentioned a new chapter in her book and every time she gave Booth the same answer but before she could supply her usual, "You'll read it when it's published." Zack arrived carrying a package wrapped in brown paper.

"Dr Brennan, this just arrived for you."

"Ah those must be the bones Justine wanted me to examine," despite her tiredness Brennan still felt like a kid at Christmas as she took the box from Zack and began to walk towards her office throwing instructions over her shoulder as she left. "Booth, Angela should have the reconstruction done, run it through the database and see what you get. Angela, start imputing the variables into the Angelator and see if it matches our hypothesis. Zack go check how far Hodgins is on those particulates we found with the body."

She shut her door behind her before collapsing in her chair and heaving an audible sigh of relief. This is just what she needed, a distraction, something that concerned neither Booth nor her father. Justine was a forensic anthropologist in Montreal and often sent Brennan bones to examine as the Jeffersonian had better resources at her disposal but it was not bones that she found when she peeled back the plain brown paper that surrounded the box. Instead a plain manila folder lay at the bottom of the box, nothing on it to suggest what its contents might be so Brennan simply shrugged her shoulders and pulled it out. The smell bombarded her senses as soon as she did so, that heavy copper smell that had only one source, blood. A nervous fear now gripped her stomach as she opened the folder and that turned into unrestrained terror as she looked through its contents. There were five A4 photographs altogether each smeared in blood but not so that you couldn't see what was in them. The first was a shot of her leaving her apartment building, the second of Booth leaving his, third Angela and Hodgins holding hands as they strolled into the Jeffersonian. Zack was next shown leaving the building apparently very late at night but it was the fifth one that shocked her most of all as it showed Booth's little boy parker being picked up from school by his mother. Brennan felt sick, there was no way you could misinterpret what they all meant but as if just to make certain she got the message a plain white sheet of printer paper was exposed as she lifted the last photo. On it typed in a plain generic font were the words:

Them or you.

You decide.

You have three days.

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	2. the winds of change

A/N: just in case anybody was trying to figure it out this is not set at a speciffic time in the show just my own mind making things up as i go which includes place names which are plucked from my head at random. although Great Falls really is a city in Montana but i just got thast off a map. thanks for the reviews and hope you enjoy the rest.

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Her heart dropped and the contents of her stomach threatened to rise as what she had been convincing herself to be impossible only hours before sparked into a reality she was not ready to deal with. It was a threat as plain as the paper it was written on, not only on her life but the lives of those she loved the most, her messed up version of a family that she would die to protect. It was then that it hit her, she refused to let them or their loved ones get hurt because of her and there was only one way to make certain that didn't happen. She had to sacrifice herself, there was no doubt in her mind about it and it was a choice she was glad to make as long as they were safe. Brennan allowed herself just one shaky sob and just a single tear before she pulled herself together, wiping the only proof of her pain away as she picked up the phone and dialled her accountants number. The conversation was short, sweet and to the point and Brennan hung up with an idea quickly forming in her mind, gaining strength by the minute. With one last painful look at the photographs to convince herself she was doing the right thing, she replaced them in the folder and hugged it tight to her chest as she left her office trying desperately not to sprint the distance to Dr Goodman's office. He had returned six months earlier and relieved Dr Soroyan of her duties for which Brannan was excessively grateful for. Cam had always rubbed her the wrong way and the fact that she and Booth had a fling, no matter how brief, didn't gain her any points in Brennan's book. She was too consumed in thought to notice the squints watching her rushed progress through the lab.

"I wonder why Brennan is in such a rush?" Angela said as she leant on the railing her back to the three men behind her.

"Bones looks like she just saw a ghost." Booth noted as she disappeared behind Goodman's door.

"Ghosts do not exist so it is highly improbable Dr Brennan saw one." Zack commented dryly as he occupied himself with a cranium reconstruction. Both Angela and Hodgins rolled their eyes at this but Zack was too preoccupied to notice.

"They do so!" Hodgins argued before returning to the original conversation, "And Dr Brennan had a file with her so she's probably got some information from Justine to discuss with Goodman." With that he returned to his microscope and the particulates Booth needed identified.

Hodgin's answer, however logical, didn't sit right with Booth. His gut told him there was more to the story and he was determined to find out what was going on. So when Bones exited Goodman's office twenty minutes later he rounded on her with his charm smile in full swing, the one he knew could make her tell him anything but to his surprise she simply brushed him off insisting she had phone calls to make before locking herself in her office. Booth was now certain something was up and had a sneaking suspicion that the folder that she wouldn't let out of her sight was the cause of it. Against his better judgement he let her have her space, she would tell him what was wrong eventually, she always did. He was sure of the fact until he arrived at the Jeffersonian the next day. She was holed up in her office again but this time Angela was with her and according to Zack they had been in there for the last two hours. Booth tried to force back the twinge of hurt that rose in his chest when he found that Bones didn't trust him enough to tell him what was going on but the hurt turned to worry when after another hour Bones and Angela finally emerged. Both women had been crying, their puffy red eyes giving them away but niether women said anything as to the reason. Something had to be done, Booth had to know why Bones was hurting, if he knew, he could fix it, his three years with her making him positive of the fact. So Booth plastered on the biggest charm smile he ever remembered using before swaggering confidently towards Bones who was now crouched over the remains on a nearby examination table.

"Hey Bones its almost five, what do you say we cut out early and head down to Wong Foo's?" His smile faltered when she didn't even look up at him.

"I can't," She replied, "I have an appointment."

"With who?" he huffed indignantly.

"Its 'with whom' and it is none of your concern."

"The hell it isn't!" Booth had now passed hurt and was now waist deep in anger. His normally limitless paitence reahing the end of it's teather. She was closing up again, his efforts having the opposite effect and he had a sneaking suspicion she was just making up the "appointment". "You're my partner, which makes it my business."

"Booth," she said his name with such venom it surprised him. Her eyes snapped to his suddenly, pools of liquid fire, challenging him to argue. "No matter how you have deluded yourself, you are not my keeper and I do not need your permission to come and go as I please. I intend to go to my appointment, after which I will go home and maybe have a glass of wine while reading my favourite book. If you are that desperate for company I'm sure Mandy or whatever her name is will be happy to oblige, seeing as she is your girlfriend. Now if you will excuse me I have matters to attend to."

"Bones, what the hell?" was the only thing he could say but he was talking to her back as she retreated back to her office. Booth had had just about all he could take but now he was even more determined to figure out what was wrong. Cool, calm, analytical Temperance Brennan did not blow a gasket for no good reason but just as he made a move to follow Bones and break down her office door if need be, he was confronted by an equally furious artist.

"Don't." Angela warned her voice holding a menacing tone Booth had never heard her use before. "Leave now Booth before you do something both you and Brennan are going to regret."

"Leave? But I didn't do anything!" Booths eyes were wide with disbelief. "What's wrong with Bones? Why won't she talk to me?"

"I'm warning you Booth you do not want to push this, now leave before I make you." Angela folded her arms across her chest for emphasis and in that moment she looked so fierce and formidable a chill ran down Booth's spine.

"Fine!" Booth shot back bitterly before storming out of the lab unable to help the longing gaze into Brennan's office. He was going to find out what was wrong with her even if he had to force it out of her. He couldn't just sit by when the women he loved was in pain, Seely Booth was a man of action. Except of course when it came to actually telling her his true feelings. He had tried many times but a stifling fear made him break out in a cold sweat when he even considered it, so he hid behind meaningless relationships and meaningless sex when his heart cried out for his auburn haired anthropologist.

Brennan sat in her office feeling utterly ashamed of herself. There had been no appointment and she had lied straight to his face but he gave her no other choice. She didn't mean to explode like that and she was well aware that it was not Booth's fault and she was taking it all out on the wrong person. It was just the thought that there would be no more dinners at Wong Foo's, no more late night paperwork, no more being with Booth once she left. She stifled a groan as she thought about it, she didn't even know where she was going but everything was ready and she needed to stop making excuses, the sooner she was gone the sooner they would be safe. Angela knew that she was leaving and why, Angela had to know but she just couldn't bring herself to tell Booth, he would try to help and get himself killed in the process. If whoever was after her had her father scared she didn't want to think about what they were capable of. No! She was doing the right thing not telling Booth no matter how much it hurt. Her progress was slow as she made her way home, her mind frantically remembering every detail of the sights she would no longer see, the Jeffersonian in all its grandeur, her route home, her apartment building, her apartment itself with all her collected curios. Maybe she would see it again one day but for now it was time to gather what she needed and collect only her most treasured possessions. As she finished and scanned the room for anything she might have forgotten she noticed the answering machine's blinking light indicating that she had messages to listen to. Brennan left the rucksack that contained everything she could need for her new life by the couch while she walked to stand in front of the machine. There was only one message and she fought the urge to delete it when her father's voice echoed around the room.

_"When you decide to come to your senses call me on Russ' old cell phone number and the sooner the better Temperance."_

Before she registered what she was doing Brennan had picked up the phone and was dialling the number she had memorised when her brother had given it to her two years prior. It rang twice before it was picked up and her father's gruff voice filled her ears again.

"You were right," she began before he could get a word in edgeways, "A package came for me with photographs. Bloody photographs of my friends and a note that said me or them and that I have three days. I'm packed ready to leave because I can't let anything happen to them but the only way I can make sure of that is to get the bastard that's doing this and the only person capable of doing that is you. So here's the deal dad, I only leave DC if you tell me where you are. I come to you and we do this together so I can get my life back."

There was a long pause before he spoke again, "I'm in Great Falls Montana, a small hotel called The Jack Rabbit Inn, ask for Matt Taylor. Hurry Temperance, I don't put it past that FBI partner of yours to bug your phone and if he knows where you're going he'll just come after you and where we're going he can't follow."

"I'll leave within the hour," She nodded even though he couldn't see it and the question that had been plaguing her surfaced once more and she lacked the emotional strength to brush it aside again. "But Dad, if this man wanted me dead there are easier ways to do it, how does making me leave everything behind affect you? What does whoever is doing this get out of it?"

"If you hurt I hurt, he's taking away what you love the most and what I love the most is to see you happy. I promise Temperance we're going to get this son of a bitch or I'll die trying."

Tears sprung unbidden to her eyes at his words, all that he had done temporarily forgotten. All that mattered was the now, which was her father promising to do anything for her. Motivated she clarified the details with him and hung up the phone taking another look around the place this time with a hope she hadn't felt before. Her reverie was interrupted by a loud rapping at her door and her heart sank again before she reigned it in again, she knew who was on the other side of the door and she knew her resolution was crumbling by the second. She had to keep it together, she could control her emotions, she had done for the past three years, there was nothing different about today. That thought as logical as it sounded flew straight out of her head as she pulled open the door after ensuring her rucksack was well hidden. Booth stood there with his arms crossed across his chest and an unreadable expression on his face.

"There is something going on and you're going to tell me what it is." His tone was no non-sense and his eyes held hers with the sheer force of his gaze.

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	3. Secrets and lies

A/N: this one's a bit shorter but I'm posting as I write so... I'm actually quite surprised I didn't get fluffier than this but I've still got time so expect more ;) thanks to all that reviewed and to all those that are gonna.

I just realised I didn't put a disclaimer on this, I don't want to but I don't want my ass to get sued so...Nothing is mine and I only scavange entertainment from it not cash sigh

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**_"There is something going on and you're going to tell me what it is." His tone was no non-sense and his eyes held hers with the sheer force of his gaze._**

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"I can't talk now Booth I'm on my way out."

"No. You're not leaving till I know what is wrong with you."

"There is nothing wrong with me." Brennan lifted her chin with defiance determined to not let him get to her but she was unsure of how long her resolution was going to last.

"Bullshit! You've been a little off with me for weeks but we were still on speaking terms so I let it slide. Now you're avoiding me and I want to know why. Tell me why!"

"I can't!"

The hurt he was feeling flashed in his eyes and tore at her heart. This was the last time she would spend with Booth and they were arguing, a fitting way to end their partnership but not how she wanted to remember him. So she decided then and there she would tell him a truth that he deserved to know and hopefully it would take attention away from the one she wasn't telling. Logical as her plan was it didn't make what she had to tell him any easier.

"Don't you trust me? After all that we have been through." His voice cracked as he replied much to his annoyance. Seely Booth's voice did not break. Seely Booth did not get emotional. What had this woman done to him?

"I trust you with my life Booth." Brennan replied without a moment's hesitation.

"Then please Bones, tell me why?"

"Because this is not enough for me anymore!" She could see the confusion written across his face so she continued, "The three years I've been your partner have changed me. I'm not the same person I was and that's because of you. You made me a better person Booth and I thank you for that but this new person wants what she can't have and is dying because of it."

"What can't you have Bones?"

"You," now she did drop his gaze and fixed hers solely on the rug below her feet, "There was always someone else that held your interest besides me, Rebecca, Tessa, Cam and lately every blonde in the DC area. I can't do it anymore Booth it's too hard, I want more because what I have isn't enough anymore."

"Bones, I had no idea," Booth was stunned, she had just said everything he had ever wanted her to say, everything he had ever hoped for. He knew he had to tell her how he felt but did not want to continue talking to the crown of her head. He placed a gentle hand on either cheek and lifted her head until she was looking straight into his eyes. "If I had known, I would have done this a whole lot sooner."

He pushed his lips against hers and found her reacting instantly to his touch pulling him closer by the collar of his shirt. His fingers lost themselves in the auburn tresses he had admired from afar for so long. When their tongues met it was clear that this wasn't going to be enough for either of them, they were drunk on each other and for each only the other existed. Hands started roaming, arms pulling the other even closer, passion rising to a point where ever nerve was on fire. Booth's hand crept under her shirt and just when they were about to reach the point of absolute no return when Booth's phone began to ring sending vibrations through both of their chests. Booth pulled back with a groan and fished the offending the piece of technology out of his pocket never once breaking eye contact.

"Booth." He grunted before listening intently to what the person had to say, "Now? ... How long can we hold him for? ... Fine, I'll be right there."

He cursed as he hung up but calmed as Brennan laid a reassuring hand against his cheek, "It's alright Booth. Go, this can wait. We'll talk about this tomorrow."

"Promise?" he searched he clear eyes for the clarification which he seemed to find much to her relief.

At her nod he captured her lips again this time keeping it brief before turning on his heel a megawatt smile gracing his features. A smile that broke her heart, her plan had worked but she hadn't meant to hurt him and now walking away seemed that much harder. That kiss would live on with her and it was the only thing she thought of as she retrieved her rucksack from its hiding place and left her apartment, locking its door behind her. On the short elevator ride to the parking garage her thoughts drifted to include the Jeffersonian and those she loved there, how she would miss them. Her footsteps echoed on the concrete as she approached her car and continued as she walked past it for that wasn't her target, her target was the all black Suzuki GSX that stood in the opposite corner. Registered in Angela's name and paid for in cash it had no direct link to her, if they were looking for her they would start with her car so that had not been an option. Brennan slipped on the leather jacket she had been carrying before shouldering the rucksack and pulling on the black helmet that had rested on the seat of the bike. Straddling the beast of a motorcycle was an oddly freeing experience and the starting rumble of the engine only served to fuel the feeling. Punching Great Falls Montana into her satellite navigation system Brennan slowly exited the garage and stopped to get one last look at her life as she knew it before she gunned the engine and sped off towards the high way.

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	4. missing persons

A/N: firstly i have never been to Great falls Montana, i'm just making it all up and if i get it completely wrong i apologise. thank you to everyone who reveiwed they are awesome and keep me going. i feel i have to give you fair warning that things are going to get worse before they get better so please bare with me. it might be a while till i update though as my art homework is not going anywhere no matter how hard i wish.

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Booth had understandably high spirits when he entered the Jeffersonian the next day and he avoided the platform and its occupants completely, heading straight for her office. When he got there however it was empty, no Bones sitting behind her desk completely absorbed in a case file as usual and her blue lab coat still hung on the coat rack which made his brow crease with confusion. _Where was she?_ The platform was his next option but only Zack stood huddled over a set of remains on the far side. Normally Booth avoided talking to him directly but he had no choice now seeing as there was no one else around.

"Where's Bones?"

Zack's head snapped up in shock at being addressed by Booth but his answer to Booth's demand was instantaneous, "Dr Brennan was called urgently to Montreal, Justine needed her help with Ice Age remains that were found near Calgary."

"Canada?" Booth exclaimed. "Bones is in Canada? When did she go?"

"Dr Goodman said the call came late last night and Dr Brennan left early this morning."

"Canada?" Booth repeated incredulously.

"Canada." Angela's voice confirmed and Booth swung round to face her.

"Brennan wouldn't go to Canada without telling me first," Booth jabbed his thumb into his chest for emphasis. "Especially after last night."

After hearing that every fibre of Angela's being burned to ask what had happened last night but to both her and Booth's surprise she held her tongue and simply said, "It was a rushed thing she probably just didn't want to phone you at ungodly hours of the morning, she didn't even call me. The fact remains Brennan is in Canada and we still have work to do on a World War 1 soldier so if you don't need anything Booth..."

It was at that moment Booth knew something was wrong. Angela's tone to begin with held a hint of pain that Booth picked up instantly since it was such a drastic change to the fun-loving, cheerful Angela he knew. She was lying to him, about what he didn't know but he sure as hell was going to find out.

"I need to know when she's coming back." Booth answered her just as tersely as she was answering him and he watched her every movement as he said it. Her eyes darkened with an emotion Booth couldn't name and her entire body tensed but he could only see that because he looked for it. Her face however remained calm and unaffected; a mask for all the world, Bones had taught her well.

"Goodman said she'll stay for as long as Justine needs her, so your guess is as good as mine." Her stance although tense was strong, challenging him to dispute her again. He did not.

"Then I need to have a word with Goodman."

"You do that."

Angela watched him retreat to Goodman's office her heart breaking for poor unsuspecting Booth. She desperately hoped she hadn't been too obvious, she was barely holding it together as it was and not knowing where Brennan was and if she was okay was killing her. She could only imagine what it would do to Booth.

Booth sat in his SUV taking deep calming breaths; his conversation with Goodman had given him nothing that he didn't already know. Bones was in Canada helping Justine at Goodman's orders and would come back when she was done. It was tidy and logical and just reeked of squints hiding something from him. It was unsettling and Bones was involved which made it even worse. _Why hadn't she called him?_ She had promised they would talk and now this whole elaborate scam just seemed like a big avoidance tactic. He didn't put it past Bones to run away, even as far as Canada, but he had hoped that she wouldn't run away from him. Deciding he wasn't going to let her he grabbed his phone out of his pocket and hit speed dial one but the only reply he received was a recorded message informing him that her phone was switched of and to try again later. Frustrated Booth phoned one of the nameless agents that fed him information on cases normally and ordered the number of the Anthropological Institute in Montreal, Canada. Much to his aggravation he was told that the servers were down and he would have to wait until they were back up to get it. Rubbing his temples to try and relieve the migraine he felt forming he nodded and said that was fine then hung up. He simply sat in his SUV at a loss for what to do next, he felt as if he couldn't function without hearing her voice first but he was getting antsy just sitting and doing nothing so Booth started his engine and drove aimlessly through the streets of DC waiting for the call that would finally get him some answers.

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Brennan sat astride her motorcycle on the crest of a hill with Great Falls, Montana spread out before her. She could see why her father had chosen to hide here, it was fairly secluded but it was a big city, big enough to get lost in without being conspicuous. If she were the FBI she would never look here for a wanted fugitive because all logic said they would be in a much larger city where they could lose themselves in a crowd of thousands. Taking one more moment to enjoy the view she slid her helmet's visor back over her eyes and spurred the engine back into life heading straight for the Jack Rabbit Inn. She had ridden through the night using all 999cc's the machine had to offer to get her there just that little bit faster but unfortunately that still gave her plenty of time alone with her thoughts which centred around the man who would soon if not already be finding out that she was gone. She felt horrible and regularly fought the urge to phone him, she had made a promise she knew she would never be able to keep and the force of that guilt was weighing heavy on her heart. It was for this reason she was now more determined than ever to find the bastard that was doing this to her so she could go back to where she belonged, with Booth. The streets were near empty as it was just reaching six-thirty in the morning as she entered the sleepy town of Great Falls, the deep rumble of her motorcycle one of the only sounds disturbing the peaceful silence.

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Booth flipped open his phone halfway through the second ring and waited as he was put through to the Anthropological Institute in Montreal. A bubbly receptionist answered the phone and it was only then that Booth realised he had no idea what to say or who to ask for. He had heard Justine's name mentioned frequently by Bones and the squints but he never met the woman nor knew her surname.

"Hello?" the receptionist queried again as Booth had yet to answer her.

"This is Special Agent Seely Booth with the FBI," he thought he might as well drop the name, it might get things done faster. "I'm looking for an anthropologist named Justine."

"Ah, you mean Dr Stevens. I'll put you through."

After a few rings a new voice joined the conversation but it was crystal clear that it wasn't the voice of Justine Stevens.

"Hello?" the deep male baritone answered.

"Hi, I'm Special Agent Seely Booth and I'm looking for Dr Stevens?" Booth asked frustrated, it was taking this long just to find Dr Frigging Stevens.

"Dr Stevens had to go run an errand but I'm her assistant Theodore James. Maybe I could be of assistance?"

"You just might Theodore, I'm actually looking for Dr Temperance Brennan. She's supposed to be helping Justine with some Ice Age remains you guys just got in."

"Ice Age remains? We haven't got any new remains in since last week and they were most definitely not Ice Age. As for Dr Brennan she hasn't been here since the Forensic Anthropology Conference a year ago."

"A year ago? Are you sure?"

"Positive, Sir."

"Is it possible the remains arrived without your knowledge?"

"Absolutely not, all the remains come through me for preliminary processing before they even reach Dr Stevens. If there were Ice Age remains here I would know about it."

"And you are sure Dr Brennan isn't there."

"She would be supervising my preliminary processing if she was, she doesn't trust me to not compromise the remains whenever she does over see a set of remains here."

"Well Theodore thanks for all your help."

"No problem Agent Booth."

Booth hung up with his migraine doubling. They lied to him, Goodman and Angela lied straight to his face and without remorse by the look of it. That meant one thing, they knew where Bones was and were hiding it from him, well not for much longer. Booth sharply turned the steering wheel and with a screech his SUV swung to face the opposite direction before he turned on the sirens and floored the gas heading back to the Jeffersonian. Halfway there however his phone rang again and he silently debated throwing the stupid piece of plastic out of the window but he answered it anyway and Agent Simms was met with an annoyed grunt.

"What?" Booth snapped.

"Booth you need to get here now, we got a hit on Dr Brennan's phone tap. Max Keenan called her two days ago."

"Two days ago? Why am I only hearing about this now Simms?"

"Booth, the servers malfunctioned! It was enough of a battle trying to salvage the information we do have, now get your ass over here because you will want to hear this."

He hung up before Booth could reply which didn't serve to brighten Booths mood. Executing another more than risky turn Booth cast one last sullen gaze at the route to the Jeffersonian before heading back across town to the Hoover Building.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Jack Rabbit Inn was a small well kept building near the city centre and it looked like it had been standing there for at least fifty years prior if the décor was anything to go by. An elderly lady sat behind the reception desk as Brennan walked in at around seven that morning. She offered Brenan a kindly smile as she approached.

"Welcome to the Jack Rabbit Inn," She announced. "My name is Jessie, what can I do you for?"

Brennan shook the hand that Jessie offered. "I'm Susan, Susan Taylor and I'm here looking for my Uncle, he said he was staying here." It was the name her and her father had agreed upon and she watched the flicker of recognition spark in Jessie's eyes.

"Ah, you're Matt's niece. He had told me to expect you." Retreating behind the desk once more she retrieved a room key which she gave Brennan with another smile. "He is in room 6A on the second floor, said you should go straight up when you arrived."

"Thank you Jessie."

"No problem, and if you or your uncle need anything else you just ask."

"Thanks, we will."

With parting smiles Brennan headed for the stairs that stood to the left of the reception desk and she found the door to room 6A easily. A tentative knock later and the door swung open and Max Keenan stood in front of her, at least she thought it was him. His hair was shorter than it had been when she had last seen him and now was almost jet black flecked with streaks of grey. The same went for the neatly kept beard that now lined his jaw and the moustache that graced his upper lip both of which hid his true age perfectly. His previously blue eyes were now a deep brown due to the contacts that he wore which completed the illusion and turned him into another person, not Max Keenan that's for sure.

"Temperance," He breathed with relief, "Come on in, you must be exhausted."

For once she did as she was told, his words seemingly reminding her that she hadn't slept in twenty four hours. Now it was safe to do so, her father was there and he was going to help her. For now she didn't have to think, didn't have to run, didn't have to lie. So she let the rucksack slip from her shoulders and collapsed onto one of the twin beds in the room where sleep came almost instantly.

* * *


	5. plans and preparation

A/N: i decided art homework could wait so here's the next bit. Enjoy...

oh and thanks for all the reviews they are wicked ;)

* * *

"This better be good Simms." Booth announced as he entered the technician's office.

"Just shut up and listen Booth." Simms replied as he typed a command into his computer. Seconds later Max Keenan's voice echoed around the small room soon joined by Bones' unmistakable scratchy tone which made Booth's heart swell. It had been too long since he had heard her voice.

_I need you to listen to me... _

**_Dad?_**

_Temperance you need to listen to me, you're in danger. I need you to lay low for a while._

**_What? Why? _**

_There's no time to explain, but you need to get out of DC, get on a plane to anywhere until I sort this out._

**_Sort this out? The last time you sorted anything out the Deputy Director of the FBI was strung up and burnt to death!_**

_I did what had to be done; you have to understand I was making sure you were safe but this time I can't protect you. I come anywhere near DC, I'm as good as dead and I'm not only talking about the warrant that the FBI has on my head. Now do as I say and get out of town while I deal with this._

**_What makes you think after all you've done to me that you have any right to order me around or have any say about what I do. If you will not tell me why I'm in danger this conversation is over. _**

_You don't understand, I still have many enemies out there and one in particular has been recently paroled. He is not above using you to get to me, so until I find out where he is and what his plans are I need to know you're safe. These are very dangerous men Temperance._

**_Well I don't scare easy and I refuse to turn my life upside down based on a whim, especially yours. I go with facts and the fact is that you don't know this man's intention be it malevolent or otherwise. Besides I can take care of myself, I have done for fifteen years but you wouldn't know about that now would you?_**

"Damnit Bones!" Booth sighed. It was just like her to make her to be so stubborn and pig headed when she could be in danger and Booth didn't doubt she was. Max Keenan was a smart man and would of probably figured that they would have a tap on the phone but he had risked it anyway just to warn her. He was just about to let out another string of curse words when Simms raised a hand to silence him.

"Wait, there's more." And after a few more key strokes the voices began to sound again.

_When you decide to come to your senses call me on Russ' old cell phone number and the sooner the better Temperance._

**_You were right. A package came for me with photographs. Bloody photographs of my friends with a note that said me or them and that I have three days. I'm packed ready to leave because I can't let anything happen to them but the only way I can make sure of that is to get the bastard that's doing this and the only person capable of doing that is you. So here's the deal dad, I only leave DC if you tell me where you are. I come to you and we do this together so I can get my life back._**

_I'm in..._

Max Keenan's low rumble was replaced by static which quickened Booth's already fast beating heart.

"What happened? Where's the rest? Where is she?" Booth demanded.

Simms pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration as he replied, "We lost the rest when the server's went down. You're lucky we have this Booth."

Booth paced the length of the room trying to work off some of the tension that was beginning to coil inside of him. This couldn't be happening and his selfish thoughts that she was just avoiding him were silently taunting him. Bones was now somewhere out there with her father, a wanted fugitive and together they were going after the man who had put a threat on her life. Booth would have laughed at the Brennan family bravado had he not been so close to tearing something's head off. He had to find her, help her, do anything to get her back. With only that thought in his mind he turned back to Simms who had been watching him patiently.

"I need a list of recent parolees from all major detention centres in the country especially those with any connection at all to Max Keenan and I don't care if it's as insignificant as they share a birthday. Have it in my office in an hour."

Simms could detect the shift in the other man's behaviour and had no intention of contradicting him so he swung to face his monitors as Booth turned and left. Pulling his phone out of his pocket and speed dialling three, Booth took long strides towards Cullen's office knowing that he could do nothing without the Deputy Director's say so. Angela's voice soon filled his ears but Booth cut her off before she had even finished saying hello.

"I know that you lied to me about Bones. I know about the photos, the threat and her father. What I don't know is where she is, what I need to know is where she is, so I am asking you Angela to answer me truthfully. Do you know where she is?"

"No." Was the only reply he received before Angela hung up and the line went dead.

Stated with her answer at least for the moment Booth stopped outside Cullen's office and took a minute to compose himself before knocking on the door. Cullen grunted his consent and Booth entered to find the man studying a case file with a frown on his face.

"What is it Booth?" he snapped.

"Sir I've come request immediate withdrawal from field-work and if my request is denied, to hand in my resignation." As soon as a threat had been made on Brennan's life Booth had decided no matter what he would help her and work just got in the way of that. With Bones gone he could focus on nothing but finding her and seeing her again and any case he got would always take second place and that was no way to run an investigation.

"And why would I take one of my best agents out of the field or accept his resignation?" Cullen asked his eyes now aimed directly at Booth.

"Because Dr. Brennan is missing Sir, and I have to find her."

In a matter of minutes Booth had told Cullen all that he had learnt, from the Jeffersonian cover-up to the half-finished telephone conversation and by the end of it he had Cullen's full attention. The elder man was silent for some time, his eyes unfocused as he digested the information Booth had given him. When his eyes finally settled on Booth once more they were as stern and serious as his tone when he spoke.

"So let me get this straight; only me, you, Simms, Dr Goodman and Miss Montenegro know about this?" At Booth's nod he continued. "Then we'll keep it that way. If it becomes common knowledge that Dr Brennan is missing it will make her chances of slipping under the radar very slim and believe it or not Booth that is what we want to happen. Although it would make our jobs easier it will also make it easier for whoever is trying to kill her. Our goal is not to attract attention and it for that reason I can neither pull you from field work nor accept your resignation, because like it or not, since you started working with Dr Brenna your name has become synonymous with hers. Demoting you or allowing you to quit will draw attention to the fact that she isn't where she should be, so you can see why I cannot do that. I can however give you permission to take the six months leave that you have saved up while Dr Brennan is 'away in Canada'. A replacement Jeffersonian liaison, chosen by you, will work any pressing cases with Dr Addy, which I'm sure Dr Goodman will agree to in light of the circumstances."

Cullen paused to take a breath and make sure the young Agent was paying special attention to the next part of his speech. Satisfiyed he had Booth's attention he began again. "Now Booth as intuitive an investigator you may be, you can't pull this off without the FBI's resources but the fact that you will be on leave means you cannot be involved in the investigation so officially there isn't going to be one. You will communicate with Agent Simms and Agent Simms only. I will make sure makes this his first priority and since the Max Keenan case is still open any information he discovers can be covered under that case file so we do not have to open a new case. You have six months to find her and whoever is behind the threat at which time we can play the whole thing off as an undercover operation and we can neutralise the threat with all the manpower the FBI has to offer."

At the end of Cullen's speech Booth was close to tears, his gratitude unfathomable but the risk of what Cullen was doing didn't escape him.

"Sir, this goes above and beyond the call of duty. I'm willing to risk my career to find Bones but it would be unfair of me to ask you to do the same."

"Firstly Booth you didn't ask. I'm doing this because Dr Brennan and her squints gave my daughter hope when we had all lost it. They made her happy when my wife and I couldn't. I can't tell you how much that meant to me, Booth. This is the only way I will ever repay her for that."

"Thank you Sir."

Cullen simply nodded slightly embarrassed at his show of emotion but he got over it quickly as there were things to be done.

"Booth you can only leave once you have found your replacement so I want list of suitable candidates found within the next two hours. Make sure it is someone your squints will get along with, I don't want to be settling disputes every second day. And send Simms to come see me so I can inform him of the situation."

"Yes Sir." Booth replied before he left the room glad to finally have something of substance to do. Now he could focus on the small tasks and each one of them brought him that much closer to finding Bones instead of drifting around aimlessly wallowing in his misery. It was just a matter of time before he found her now.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night had fallen on Great Falls when Brennan finally awoke. The only light in the room came from the lamp beside her bed and bathed the room in a subdued orange hue. Her father sat in a chair by the window vigilantly watching the traffic outside, searching for any sign that they might have to flee. He noticed her shifting in bed and turned towards her smiling.

"Sleep well?" he inquired his voice soft.

"Yeah. What time is it?" Brennan managed to croak out her voice still thick with sleep.

"Almost eight, you slept through the day."

Brennan ran a hand through her hair in a vain attempt to tame her sleep tousled tresses before she looked at her father again taking in his altered features.

"What are we going to do Dad?" It was a question that had plagued her mind as soon as her head hit the pillow. "Up till now all I could concentrate on was getting away and finding you and now that I have I'm at a loss to do next. It is all well and good saying we're going to find this man but how are we going to do it? What happens when we do? And finally who is he and what did you do to him? "

Max breathed a heavy sigh before he began, "His name is Jimmy Nelson and we actually went to college together. After graduation I, of course, went on to marry your mother while he became the head of one of the largest organised crime syndicates on the east coast. We didn't know it at the time but one of the last banks me and your mother hit before we (Ahem) retired just so happened to be where Jimmy did all of his banking. We also just happened to hit the bank on the day Jimmy made quite a large deposit,two million dollars to be exact and somehow he found out I was responsible. Your mother and I went underground soon after so he never found us but as far as Jimmy is concerned, I owe him two million dollars plus fifteen years interest but he'd be just as happy to put a bullet through my brain just to make an example of me and prove that no one gets away with stealing from him. He is a man that bares grudges but he's been in prison for eight years so there was no reason to worry before now. After the FBI had my face all over television and the fact that you are my daughter is now common knowledge I knew he would use you to get to me. That was his first mistake but unfortunately Jimmy Nelson is a man whose pride does not make him stupid. He surrounds himself with layers of men and only those closest to him know of his whereabouts. It means to get to him we have to work our way through the ranks until we reach someone who knows where he is. I have to warn you now Temperance that could take months."

Brennan nodded, "I was prepared for that from the beginning but you still haven't answered one of my questions. When we find him, what happens then?"

"I won't lie to you Temperance, I'd rather see him dead than see you hurt and if that is what it takes to keep you safe then so be it."

"There must be an alternate option, I spend my days solving murders I do not want to be the cause of one." Brennan pleaded, almost desperately.

Her father hung his head before his gaze returned to hers, having made a decision. "I can't promise anything but if you find an alternative, when the time comes we can take it. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Good," Max said checking his watch in the process. "We can't stay here for much longer. I know where we can find our first target so when you were asleep I went and got us a van so we can take your motorcycle with us; it could come in handy. I also got this..." He chucked a carrier bag toward her and Brennan caught it effortlessly.

The contents proved to be a box of hair dye, a box of hazel coloured contacts and a wallet full of cards identifying her as Susan Taylor. Although what she had to do was obvious at this point Brennan still looked up at her father for confirmation and he offered her an apologetic shrug.

"You're a bestselling author Honey; we can't take the risk of someone recognising you especially people wanting to cancel your existence."

"I understand. Logically people already have a set image of me and any alteration or deviation from that perception would throw them off." One more look in the bag and Brennan stood, heading for the bathroom. "Dad, I'm going to need a scissors."

"Coming right up, Honey." Max smiled as he exited the room in search of Jessie.

* * *


	6. normal

**A/N: **I finally found some spare time to a) wite this and b) post it. sorry it took so long but life is a bit complicated at the moment, don't even know when the next update is going to be but i swear i will try to do it as soon as it is possible.

thank's again to all that have reviewed

* * *

Hodgins was the first to notice Booth's arrival at the Jeffersonian and the person that accompanied him piqued Hodgin's interest more than the specimens he was supposed to be examining. Hopefully this meant that they had a case because the lab was about as exciting as a mausoleum without Dr Brennan and the cases she got from the FBI. Little did Hodgins know that he was not the only one watching Booth and the mystery woman's progress to the platform. Angela eyed the pair suspiciously as she stood next to Zack waiting to show him the face that belonged to the bones he was currently examining. Unfortunately for Angela the face wasn't half as interesting as the knife mark he had just found on one of the victim's vertebrae so she was being studiously ignored. She folded her arms across her chest as she scrutinized the woman at Booth's side. She stood about a head shorter than Booth and was dressed in faded jeans, a white tank top, a well worn pair of sneakers and a leather jacket. Her long black hair was pulled back into a pony tail and a long fringe veiled her intense deep brown eyes which took in every detail of the vastness of the Jeffersonian. Angela moved forward to meet them at the stairs, offering Booth the warmest smile she could muster as his eyes met hers. She was relieved when he tried his best to reciprocate, even though he failed miserably, because since his phone call she hadn't known where she stood with the FBI agent. If he were still mad at her he would probably not even acknowledge her existence so at least this was a start.

"Hey Booth, do we have a case?" Hodgins asked as he came up behind Angela, snaking an arm around her waist as he did so.

"Nope, I'm here to introduce my replacement," Booth replied and smiled at the gasps that escaped the artist and entomologist. "While Bones is in Canada, I'll be taking all the leave days I have saved up. Agent Isabella Sanchez will be working the cases with you while I'm gone."

"Agent Sanchez? You don't look like any FBI agent I've ever seen." Hodgins noted bluntly and received a sharp jab in the ribs from Angela in return.

"Good," Sanchez replied, her tone just as blunt as Hodgins'. "I've never been one for all that uniform and conformity crap. They only allow it because I'm the best profiler they got and they don't have the balls to fire me."

"You're a profiler?" Hodgins exclaimed in disbelief and got another jab from Angela for it.

"I am so sorry," Angela said as she threw him a dirty look. "He still hasn't grasped the whole think before you speak thing."

"Don't worry about it; I'm used to people underestimating me. At least he's honest about it." Sanchez replied.

Her reply made Angela take a closer look at the woman in front of her. Her stance was tough and challenging but still laid back and relaxed and Angela had a feeling that this was always the case, for Agent Sanchez seemed to have a street-wise air about her. Her tone alone was serious and no-nonsense and her gravelly voice only added to her hard ass persona. Beneath that however was a fierce intelligence that burned through her expressive eyes if anyone cared to look. Her appearance belied its depth and Angela felt the whole judging a book by its cover refrence was never more accurate than when it was applied to Agent Sanchez.

"Consider our lesson learnt," Angela said finally before offering her hand to the new member of the team. "Welcome to the team Agent Sanchez, I'm Angela and this is my husband Jack Hodgins."

"Thanks and please, just call me Sanchez." She said before she shook each of their hands.

"Aha!" Zach exclaimed and the group turned to face him but he was in his own world, his eyes still fixed on the skull in his hand. "The victim was stabbed several times but the cause of death was a subdural haematoma caused by blunt force trauma to the head. Angela did you finish the..." The rest of his sentence died on his lips as he looked up to discover Angela and Hodgins were not the only ones on the platform anymore.

"Welcome back Zach," Hodgins said smiling as he walked over to the examination table with the others in tow. "While you were away with your bones we were just getting introduced to Booth's replacement."

"Replacement? Did you get fired Booth?" Zach asked

"No I did not get fired!" Booth huffed. "I'm going on leave! Why would you think I got fired?"

Zach simply shrugged, "It was a logical assumption."

Booth took a deep breath to calm himself before he did something to the poor kid, it wasn't Zach's fault his fuse was extremely short these days.

"Well Zack, I did not get fired but while I'm ON LEAVE Agent Sanchez will be working cases with you. You Zach, will be Dr Brennan's replacement while she is gone and work all the FBI cases that come in. That means you will now be going into the field with Agent Sanchez and you are to do what she tells you, understand?"

"Yes Sir." Was Zack's automatic response to Booth's authoritative tone. Unconsciously he stood up straighter and fought the urge to salute.

"Good. You two get to know each other," Booth said gesturing to Zach and Sanchez respectively. "I need to talk to Angela privately for a moment."

Angela nodded, "We can use my office."

Booth followed silently behind her and as soon as the door to her office clicked shut Angela flung her arms around him.

"I'm so sorry Sweetie. She made me promise. She's my best friend Booth, I couldn't say no."

"It's okay Angela, I understand." He patted her back soothingly and after another moment she released her grip on his neck and smiled up at him sheepishly while she wiped her tears away.

"What are you going to do Booth? Is this whole going on leave thing real or did you quit and you're trying to break it to us gently?"

"Truth is I tried to quit but Cullen wouldn't let me. Instead he gave me six months of leave to find Bones and take out whoever is trying to kill her."

"Booth, you can't. Firstly we don't know where she is and secondly Brennan did all this to protect us, she gave up everything so we wouldn't have to. She wouldn't want you to turn your life upside down because of her."

"That's just it Angela, my life doesn't seem to make sense without her in it. The moment she walked away it's like a part of me went with her. I need Bones, I need to find her, to know that she's okay. I have to protect her because I'm her partner and that's my job and she doesn't get to decide if I do it or not. So I am going to find her, no matter how long it takes and I'm never going to leave her again because I love her Angela. I love her and she doesn't even know it." Booth sank into a nearby chair his emotions taking him over as the tears spilled from his eyes no matter how hard he forced them back. Days of repressed emotion came spilling out and even the repetitive mantra of "Men don't cry" circling around his head could do nothing to stop it.

Angela looked at the broken man before her and every squeal and "I told you that you and Bren were made for each other" died on her lips. Nothing she could say or do would make him feel any better or persuade him not to attempt what he had planned. It would all just fall on deaf stubborn ears because he needed to find the woman he loved and a selfish part of Angela wanted him to succeed so that she could have her best friend back safe and sound. It was just a shred of hope but she clung to it with all of her strength and she was sure the effort was more than double for Booth. So Angela did the only thing she could, kneeling beside Booth and offering words of encouragement and confidence that she herself did not wholly believe but what Booth needed to hear. It took Booth a few minutes to compose himself and slip behind a mask of indifference.

"I need you to keep this quite Angela. Only me, you, Goodman, Cullen and Simms know about it and we can't risk this becoming public knowledge. Of course I understand if you want to tell Hodgins and Zach but if you do make sure there is no possible way you will be over heard, I'll leave the choice up to you. You need me for anything call me, I'll be at home going over some files Simms found for me."

"Alright Booth," Angela said as she watched him haul himself up right and leave the office but her voice made him stop at the door. "Take care of yourself Booth."

He offered her a sad smile before he replied, "I'll will."

* * *

"No," Temperance huffed angrily as she stood up to her father. "This is not what we agreed to. I didn't come all this way to sit in a motel and wait."

They were currently holed up in a very shabby motel in Milwaukee called "The Palm Springs" in a room that conveniently had an uninhibited view of the bar across the street, which their target made a religious pilgrimage to every night. Brennan had thought the room would suffice as far as surveillance was concerned but that soon changed when her father announced she would be confined to the dingy room while he went and got the information they needed.

"Temperance, you know as well as I do that I just can't walk up to the man and ask him to out his contact. I'll have to persuade him and I'd rather you were not around to witness what I might have to do to get him to talk." Max answered not in the least bit phased by his daughter's temper.

"You are delusional if you think that I don't know that. I may not normally condone such behaviour, but that was before these bastards turned my life upside down. If you go I go with you. It's as simple as that." Brennan folded her arms across her chest in defiance as she stood at her full height staring her father down.

Max rubbed a weary hand across his face as he contemplated her demand. She was too stubborn for her own good, unfortunately a trait she had inherited from him. He knew how dangerous these men were, he had dealt with them before but Temperance, she had been thrown into this whether she liked it or not and even her vast self-defence knowledge wouldn't cut it if things got ugly. However, if they were going to do this they were going to have to work together whether he liked it or not and refusing to let her come wasn't exactly a trust gaining option. He sighed deeply before throwing his hands up in defeat, ignoring the part of his brain that suggested that he just lock her inside the room.

"Fine, you win." he begrudgingly conceded. "But only if you agree to my terms..."

Brennan nodded her consent and so he continued, "The second we leave this motel room, I don't know you and you don't know me, that way if he figures out who I am you're safe. You are there in a purely observational role, find a seat at the back and use those anthropological skills of yours to learn from those around you. You need to blend in if we are going to keep doing this so that you don't arouse suspicion, someone might recognise you and the last thing we need is for that someone to be the guy we are after. That means no more big complex words, no more taking things so literally and no more letting logic rule everything you do or else this might be over before it even begins. Appearance is going to be everything."

Brennan huffed indignantly at what he was asking of her and her temper threatened to overwhelm her reason. She was comfortable with who she was, something it had taken her years to achieve and now here he was blatantly asking her to try to conform to what others considered to be 'normal'. Then there was that word 'appearance', it didn't mean she had to change who she was, just how others saw her. She could no longer be the stuffy scientist who blamed her career and up-bringing for her social awkwardness and spent most of her waking hours with the dead. Temperance Brennan would never be what anyone viewed as normal, but as far as anyone knew she was Susan Taylor, it was a mask she could slip behind similar to the one of calculated indifference she had put up through most of her adult life. It would all be an act that she would have to learn to perfect so that she would be nothing but average to all she met but deep inside she was still a squint and her heart was still in the nation's capital.

"Deal." Brennan finally replied and her father nodded satisfied that she was doing this his way.

Brennan had done as she was instructed and was now sitting in a booth at the back of Jeff's Bar nursing a beer. This month's Cosmo lay open in front of her as an attempt to both give her a little insight into the expectations of the modern woman and to hopefully dissuade any patrons eager for a conversation. However the pages went mostly unread as she instead discreetly focused on the people in the bar and their interaction. She was one of six women in the bar but their purpose seemed solely focused on attracting attention as they mingled among the men with ease. The men seemed to mostly straight from work still in their suites but with their ties discarded and their top buttons undone. They mostly sat in small groups filling the smoky air with a low hum of conversation mostly about sports with the occasional woman mentioned. The most rowdy and noisy of the lot consisted of around five men that took up a booth in the middle of the room. They were obviously regulars because their ruckus went unpunished by Jeff the barkeep and their refills were delivered diligently. It was these men that Brennan knew held her father's full attention even though he looked thoroughly absorbed in his newspaper as he sat at the bar. It was these men in particular because among them sat Joey Doyle, tall and slender in stature and the man they had come here to find. Brennan did not let her gaze roam too long and returned it to the Cosmo in front of her and the various shoe styles that were this season's must have. The next time she decided to risk another scan of the bar she found her view blocked by a man who obviously hoped to gain her attention. Rolling her eyes discreetly at the situation and sighing inwardly she focused on the magazine once more hoping he would get the message that she wasn't interested but that of course didn't work and he cleared his throat noisily to announce his presence. Brennan looked up and what she thought he supposed was a charming smile graced his lips.

"Hi, I noticed you sitting here by yourself and I thought you could use more company than a Cosmo." He leant on the table bringing him too close for her comfort.

His cologne was so strong it seemed like he had bathed in the stuff and made her want to be sick. Despite her discomfort Brennan forced a smile using all the self restraint she had to keep from flooring the guy for invading her personal space.

"That is really sweet of you but it's just to pass the time, I'm actually waiting for my boyfriend. He said he'd meet me here." She had to stifle a giggle at the way his face dropped the instant he found out she was taken but she had to give it to the guy he didn't give up without a fight.

"Oh ... well he's a fool to keep a beautiful lady such as yourself waiting. Would you like me to keep you company until he arrives?"

"Thanks for the offer but David is the jealous type, I don't want you getting in trouble when you're just trying to be friendly."

Not wanting to put himself in harm's way he relented with a solemn nod, "Well, it was nice meeting you..."

"Susan." Brennan supplied as she shook his hand before he retreated back to the bar stool he had previously occupied.

Brennan sighed in relief but it didn't last long because another sweep of the room showed that both her father and Joey Doyle were nowhere to be seen and because of a pointless five minute conversation she had no idea where they were.


	7. bathroom break

Max had watched the bartender pass him with a fifth round off Budweisers destined for Joey's table and knew it wouldn't be long now. Shifting his attention away from his newspaper he made yet another sweep of the room, noticing his daughters company with an almost unperceivable frown. Any thoughts about doing anything about the situation ended when from behind him came humoured grumbles as Joey announced he had to take a leak and his friends shifted to let him out of the booth. A private smile pulled at the corners of Max's mouth as the moment he had been waiting for arrived. It was for this very reason he had chosen a seat close to the restroom doors and he had to commend Joey's timing because Max knew for a fact that the last occupant had exited the men's room five minutes ago. That left Joey in there all alone. No witnesses. Perfect. Max hung back another minute or so before he followed Joey to the bathroom, casting a worried glance at his daughter before the door obstructed his view. With a rueful shake of his head he decided she could take care of herself as he silently engaged the lock on the door. He turned to find Joey standing at a urinal in the centre of the opposite wall, staring listlessly into the white tile in front of him, either too drunk to notice, or completely unfazed by Max's entrance. Max's casual tread towards the urinal probably never seemed out of place but Joey's eyes widened in surprise and pain when his head was slammed forcefully into the very tiles that had just held his attention. Stunned into silence by the sudden attack, he was prevented from saying anything further when a rather large hunting knife was pressed into his cheek, drawing blood, while his head was still held roughly against the wall by Max so that he couldn't turn and see his face.

"Shout for help and I'll kill you," Max warned, his voice taking on a deep gravelly tone, only continuing when he was sure Joey wasn't going to try anything. "Put it back in your trousers, and put your hands on the wall."

Whimpering Joey tucked his manhood back into his pants and placed his hands on the cold tile that was slowly starting to numb the right side of his face.

"Please," he begged. "Take my money, just don't kill me. Please!"

"I don't want your money, Joey. I want to know who your contact in The Kings is and how you contact him." Max said slowly increasing the amount of pressure he was putting on Joey's head.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Joey spat all innocence, squirming against the wall trying to turn and see Max's face.

"Don't bullshit me Joey," Max replied his tone calm and even. He dragged Joeys head away from the wall before slamming it back into the tile for emphasis. Max ran the tip of the knife down the middle of Joey's neck, tracing his spine and pushing the collar of his dress shirt down to reveal a small tattoo of a crown in between his shoulder blades. "Are you trying to tell me it's just a coincidence you have their insignia tattooed into your skin? Huh Joey? Do you think I'm playing with you, Joey?"

Again Max slammed Joey's head into the tile, this time staining it with blood which now flowed down his cheek from the deep gash that had formed on his forehead.

"Now, tell me who your contact is!" Max ordered again careful to keep his voice down.

"I can't." Joey slurred, his vision doubling adding to the already slightly fuzzy effect of the alcohol he had consumed. "If they found out I ratted them out they will kill me."

"Joey, if you don't tell me what you know, I'll kill you." Max's blade now came up to Joey's throat, the tip of the blade pressing menacingly into his jugular. When he remained silent Max increased the pressure on the blade until a slow trickle of blood trailed a path down his throat only to be soaked up by the collar of his shirt.

"Okay! Okay! Okay!" Joey caved mumbling into the wall. "I'll tell you...his name is Danny Donatello. He owns a chain of restaurants along the east coast but he is based in Chicago. He uses my fishing company to ship his drugs out of state and I get ten percent of the profits. I don't contact him, he contacts me. He calls and gives me a location and an associate of his drops off the merchandise. That's all I know. I swear!"

"When's the next shipment?" Max asked.

"Thursday, it's going to Chicago."

"See, that wasn't so hard. Thanks for all the help Joey, and as far as you know ... this conversation never happened."

Before Joey could reply, Max slammed Joey's head into the wall once more, this time with enough force to knock him out. As Joey crumpled to the floor Max grabbed him by the forearms and dragged him into one of the stalls, sitting his limp and bloody body on the toilet seat. Max estimated Joey would be out for a good twenty minutes so he left the bathroom after cleaning the blood off the wall and returned to his seat at the bar. He ordered another drink and sipped leisurely at it as he watched three other men enter and exit the bathroom without raising the alarm. Setting the empty glass down and folding the newspaper under his arm, Max dropped ten bucks onto the bar before he turned to stroll out of the bar a sly smile on his face.

* * *

Brennan had watched her father exit the bathroom to sit in his previous position and she prickled with curiosity as she noted that Joey had not done the same. She looked for any kind of clue in her dad's behaviour to give her even a clue as to what had just gone down but her father gave nothing away. He remained cool and calm, slowly finishing his drink before casually strolling out of the bar. It didn't surprise her that he had left without her, after all they did not know each other but she wasn't going to stay much longer as Joey's friends were already casting sidelong glances at the Men's room door. So she sat flipping through her Cosmo for another three minutes before she pretended she had received a text message, gathered her items and left just as one of Joey's friends entered the bathroom in search of him.

The walk to the motel seemed too long, even though it was only across the street and a nervous excitement bubbled inside Brennan. If all had gone as planned she was one step closer to going home, to D.C, the Jeffersonian, Angela, Booth. The smile on her father's face as she walked through the door gave her a hope that she never knew she needed, that smile said that this crazy idea of theirs just might be possible. It wasn't just wishful thinking anymore and Brennan couldn't help the smile that lit her face at the sight of her father's.

"Pack your bags Honey, we're going to Chicago!" Max announced.


	8. pink and postcards

**A/N: **I have officially dubbed myself the queen of Delayed Action. I started this chapter before Valentines day but as you can see it wasn't finished by then and now i've posted it just in time to wish everyone a belated Easter!! Oh well, better leate than never (i hope) and for those that think i made zack too OOC i would be inclined to agree but i'd like to think that a ninja warrrior lies under that new haircut just waiting to be unleashed!!

As always a big huge thankyou for all the reveiws, they make me smile ;)

Disclaimer: i did it in earlier chapters, you can't make me say it again!! it hurts :(

* * *

Booth couldn't decide if he was more depressed or irritated as he walked through the Jeffersonian doors on February the 14th. The normally dull, clinical surfaces were now drenched in the sickening reds and pinks that celebrated a holiday that didn't exist. Granted, normally Booth was the first to defend Valentine's Day and sharing it with those you loved, but he found his opinion soured when the one you loved wasn't around. Every happy couple served as a reminder that he was alone and Booth was beginning to think the whole reason for this unfounded holiday was to mock him. Commercialism, he thought with a scowl, just using love as an excuse to sustain a capitalist society. _Aw man! Now I'm thinking like a squint. _He shook the thought off, vowing to himself that they would never know. He reached the platform and while he dug in the pockets of his faded leather jacket for his key card, the conversation from above reached his ears.

"Zack, what have I told you about using dead languages?" Agent Sanchez asked in her slow and deliberate tone.

"That I should refrain from doing so." Zack answered studiously.

"So, do you want to run that by me again? Without all the mumbo jumbo this time!"

"The pattern of the breaks on the ribs and sternum, are congruent with blunt force trauma." Zack explained very slowly, "Something heavy hit the victim in the chest and the force of the impact pushed the ribs inward puncturing both lungs. Cyanosis on the remaining soft tissue suggests the victim died of asphyxiation."

"Now why could you not just say that the first time?"

"I did." Zack replied.

"Yeah but in Squint, I don't speak Squint!" Sanchez told him for the umpteenth time.

Booth chuckled as he beeped his way onto the platform to find Zack and Agent Sanchez standing on opposite sides of an exam table, with their arms crossed across their chests, staring each other down. As they noticed Booth's presence, they both turned to greet him and he was surprised to see them both sporting bruised black eyes.

"Jeez, what happened to you two?" Booth asked not bothering to hide his chuckle as he gestured towards Zack's right eye and Agent Sanchez's left.

"Defending her honour." Zack replied jerking his head at Agent Sanchez.

"And you?" Booth asked the now irritated looking Agent.

"Defending his." She replied just as plainly.

"Care to elaborate?" Booth asked again now totally confused.

"Some officers at the crime scene found it prudent to not only insult Agent Sanchez's skills as an investigator, but also to shout out inappropriate language that even me, with my limited social vocabulary found both vulgar and degrading." Zack supplied before Agent Sanchez cut in.

"I told him to ignore them, but this genius decides to go give them a stern talking to, and ends up out cold on the floor. When I go to help him up, one of the idiots gets in my face and the lucky bastard got a sucker punch in before I floored him."

Booth couldn't contain himself any longer and burst out laughing.

"I...never...knew you...had...it ...in you...Zack!" Booth gasped between fits of laughter. It felt good to laugh again; he hadn't had much to laugh about in the last month.

"You know Booth, you never did tell us why you were here." Sanchez said growing quite tired of being the butt of the joke. Hodgins and Angela had been having a field day ever since it happened two days ago.

"Angela needed me to sign off on some paperwork for the Ortega case. Caroline needs it for the court date on Thursday." Booth said having composed himself enough to answer.

"She's in her office." Sanchez supplied, pointing a finger in the direction for emphasis.

Booth had the distinct feeling he had been dismissed, so with another chuckle he turned to head towards Angela's office but couldn't resist getting one last dig in.

"Well, you keep your knight in shining armour away from any more damsels in distress Sanchez, or he might end up getting himself killed."

Booth then sped to Angela's office just in case either Zack or Sanchez decided to hurl something hard at his head for giving them a hard time. He couldn't imagine what hell Hodgins and Angela had put them through already. He found no sign of Angela when he entered her office and only the slight hum of her computer answered his questioning "Ange?" With a sigh Booth looked down at his watch, he had no time for this. He walked over to her desk were various files were scattered, hoping to find the one he had to sign. His search was stopped before it even began, when he saw three postcards sitting haphazardly on top of the stack of manila folders. They sat innocently enough, and Booth would have simply pushed them to the side and deemed reading them an invasion of Angela's privacy, had he not been certain that the handwriting that brought greetings from far away belonged to Bones. He had filled out enough paperwork with her to know that precise, curving scrawl by heart. That's why the written greeting had him confused and forced his guilt at snooping to the back of his mind. It was the same on each one:

_Hey Ange_

_Hope you're keeping well,_

_See you soon_

_Susan_

Susan? He would have thought Bones would use a more imaginative alias than that. He checked the dates on the postage, all of which were after Bones had left, which made him more certain that these were from her. Now that there was no doubt in his mind his heart sank, why didn't Angela tell him about these? Why did Angela get them and not him? Didn't he also deserve to know that she was alright? Didn't she know how much he worried? He flipped each postcard over desperately trying to glean every shred of information from them. Three separate cityscapes announced greetings from Montana, Milwaukee and Chicago respectively and Booth soaked up the names like a sponge. Maybe this information could put a dent in the mountains of paper work that was strewn across his lounge, patiently awaiting his return.

"Can I help you?" Angela's voice sounded behind him.

His back to the door he hadn't noticed her arrival and apparently his Ranger skills were not as intact as he thought. Slowly Booth covered the postcards with a nearby folder, so as to not make his discovery that obvious, then he turned and watched recognition flash across Angela's features.

"Booth? Is that you?" Angela asked. His hair had grown at least three inches since the last time she had seen him and now hung messily across his forehead. A short but prominent beard lined his jaw, giving him a rugged yet tidy mountain man look. It was such a contrast to his usual formal and shaved self Angela did a double take.

"Yeah, you said I had to sign off on the Ortega case. I was looking for the file." He wasn't about to tell her what he had found, if she had wanted to tell him about them she would have done it by now. Booth did not miss the brief look of panic that flashed on her face which settled when he didn't continue.

She held up the manila folder in her hand with a smile, "I just went to get it; I didn't expect you so soon."

"Yeah, well I had nothing better to do today." He replied desperately trying not to sound bitter.

Angela's smile turned sympathetic as she handed him the file and grabbed a pen off her desk. He signed on the appropriate dotted lines and as he stood, he desperately avoided Angela's gaze on the off chance she would use her intuitive powers to figure him out.

"That it?" he asked, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. "I got somewhere I have to be."

"Yeah, that's it." Angela replied, sighing at Booths dejected tone. She knew however that there was nothing she could tempt him to make him stay. The only thing he wanted was his "Bones". With a nod goodbye he was gone.

As soon as booth stepped out of her office he had his phone out and was dialling Simms' number. Simms picked up after three rings with a terse "What?!"

"Simms, its Booth. I need you to cross-reference the name Susan with everything we have on Brennan and her father. Bank account activity, e-mail activity, foster parents, school teachers, everything."

"It might be awhile before I get to run the search," Simms replied his tone drawn and frustrated, "We just found out it was a virus that hit the servers not a fault like we all suspected. The only way a virus could get through the firewalls was if it was someone on the inside, which means we have a mole in the department. Internal Affairs is everywhere, monitoring all systems."

"Shit!" Booth cursed as he got into his SUV slamming his door shut behind him, "Are you under inspection?"

"No more than anybody else, random routine interviews to see if our stories match up. Luckily everything we've done so far is justifiable under Max Keenan's open file, but if I start poking around in Dr Brennan's accounts I might raise suspicion and I believe that is not what we want to do."

"That's the last thing we want." Booth sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Run the search when the heat is off. Those pricks from Internal Affairs will be out for blood and I don't want it to be yours. Not after you put your neck on the line to help me."

"I'll get on it as soon as they clear me and I'd give that about two week's tops. After all, besides Dr Brennan, I have nothing to hide."

"Just call me as soon as you get anything."

"Will do, but Booth...why Susan?" Simms asked curious as to where the name had suddenly sprung up from.

"Just call it a hunch." Booth replied before hanging up.

He rolled his shoulders trying to relieve the tension that had settled there since he discovered the postcards and had grown with this unwelcomed delay. This had to be the worst Valentine's Day ever. He let his head fall back against the headrest and closed his eyes in an effort to calm himself but this proved futile as the shrill ring of his cell phone began to echo around the car. Growling in frustration he flicked it open grunting a hello through gritted teeth.

"I've never heard anyone as happy to speak to their mother as you Seely." Mrs Booth's sarcasm did nothing to improve his mood but he made his best effort to at least sound convincing.

"Sorry Mom, didn't check my caller ID and you kind of caught me at a bad time. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Well, since you wouldn't return my phone calls..."

"Sorry, I've been really busy and..."

"Seely Booth, you do not interrupt people when they are speaking." She scolded him and suddenly he felt ten years old again.

"Yes Ma'm."

"Good, well since you don't return my calls I phoned the FBI only to be told that you were out of active field duty. When I asked them why they said you were taking the six months of leave you had saved up. Imagine that, I had to find out from a total stranger what was going out in my son's life. Well what do you have to say for yourself?"

"I was busy?" he tried even though he knew it wasn't going to work.

"To busy to call your own mother?"

"It's hard to explain."

"Well you can tell me all about it when you're here next week."

"Excuse me?"

"You're brother's ship is in port for a month, you're father is taking time off work especially and since you're already on leave, you're coming to spend time with your family."

"Mom, I can't just up and leave for a month, I have responsibilities here. What about Parker?" Booth had been seeing more Parker because of his time off, but he had a sneaking suspicion it was only because he was cheaper than a babysitter. Even though, it felt good to have more time with his son, some days having Parker around was the only thing that got him out of bed.

"Parker will be fine with his mother." Mrs Booth replied unfazed. "I'm not taking no for an answer Seely. We've hardly seen or heard from you since last thanksgiving. C'mon Seely don't make me beg, you can even bring that pretty partner of yours, I'm dying to meet her."

"Alright, alright, I'll come but Bones is in Canada working Mom, so she won't be able to make it." Booth forced the words around the lump in his thought that formed every time he talked about Bones.

"That's fantastic! Your brother will be here on Thursday, when can we expect you?"

"Saturday, I'll have to tie up some things before I leave."

"Saturday it is, your father will be so pleased."

"Somehow I doubt that; I'll probably just cut in on his time with Jared." Booth scoffed indignantly.

"Seely, don't say things like that. You know your father loves you both the same."

"Of course Mom." Booth said, trying to placate her before an argument began, the same argument they had been having for years. "Listen Mom, I really gotta go. I'll see you on Saturday."

"Okay Seely. I love you."

"Love you too Mom, Bye."

Booth hung up his phone before he threw it onto the backseat recklessly, content to have it stay there where he could ignore it and the bad news it brought. Maybe if he got a new phone things would start looking up, maybe he would get some good news once in a while. Life however seemed determined to make his time on this earth a living hell, regardless of his choice in mobile phone, as the Washington skies chose this exact moment to open up, releasing a storm that would have him soaking wet in five seconds. That settled it, this truly was the worst Valentine's Day ever!


	9. here's looking at you kid

**A/N: **well after the final eps in season three, both of which left me a sobbing mess, i felt the need to vent a little so this is the result. Hopefully i will update faster as its all written up already, but with my delayed action syndrome i won't make any promises...as always reveiws are loved and appreciated.

**Disclaimer:** If it was mine it would not have been Zack!!

* * *

The dark theatre was nearly empty, the old black and white movie not drawing as much of a crowd as it used to. Brennan sat next to her father in the middle of an otherwise deserted row of seats. Directly in front of them sat a stout balding man who, unbeknownst to him was the reason Brennan and her father were there. Lou Marcheta, Danny in Chicago had informed them after various blows to the body with a wooden baseball bat, was the man that kept most of the lower level Kings armed. Whether it was a clean pistol without the messy paperwork or an RPG to make a statement, he was the go to guy. Finding him had been easy enough with the instructions Danny in Chicago had supplied but Brennan was anxious. They had been very lucky to get as far as they were, and she wasn't sure how much longer catching their targets during solitary bathroom and smoking breaks was going to prove effective. When she voiced her concerns to her father, he simply chuckled and said:

"Everyman has a weakness that can be exploited Tempy; you just need to know what it is. More often than not, if you watch someone long enough, they will show you what their weakness is. Once we know what their weakness is we figure out a way to use that weakness to our advantage. Never underestimate the information a person's daily routine can give you."

Brennan had been sceptical at first but after three weeks on Lou's tail she could not fault her father's hypothesis. She felt like she knew the man personally despite not having had an official introduction. She knew where he got his hair cut, his favourite ice-cream, where he worked, where his kids went to school and unfortunately, that he was surrounded by at least four of his men on a daily basis. However, there was one place that Lou went to without his constant entourage, for reasons only he knew. His "Achilles heel", as her father had called it, occurred every Sunday. Like clockwork, Lou Marcheta entered the Bellevue Theatre at five, ordered a medium popcorn and was seated in the same seat in row G by quarter past. Brennan and Max had watched Lou's routine unfold, like the three Sundays prior, and were safe in the knowledge that only they knew how drastically different Lou's Sunday was about to become as they took their seats directly behind him.

--

Lou Marcheta was a happy man. He had just closed a gun deal that was going to make him thousands, his lawyer had just informed him his divorce had finally been finalised, which meant he no longer had to deal with his ex-wife, and to top it all off one of his favourite movies, "Casablanca", was playing at the Bellevue Theatre. It was the perfect ending to the perfect Sunday evening. However his perfect Sunday came crashing down around him when, twenty minutes into the movie, he felt something cold and hard pressing into the right side of his neck. His hand froze halfway to his mouth still containing the popcorn he was about to consume. At the edge of his peripheral vision he could just make out the outline of gloved hand holding a 9mm Jericho 941 pistol equipped with silencer, not unlike the ones he sold on a daily basis. The irony that he might die by a weapon he gladly distributed to anyone who paid enough was not lost on him. Before his brain could process a protest at this sudden turn of events, a gruff whisper sounded in his left ear, the sound making the hairs at the back of his head stand on end.

"Keep your eyes on the screen and your mouth shut. You call for help those will be the last words you will ever speak, answer my questions and you live to see another movie. Do you understand?"

Max had waited twenty minutes for the six other patrons in the theatre to become absorbed in the film before he made his move. Holding his gun in his right hand, between Brennan and himself, he made his presence known leaning further to whisper his threat. His new position hid the gun from the view of the patrons to his left and Brennan mirrored his actions to make sure no one on the right hand of the theatre could see what her and her father were up to. When Lou dumbly nodded his understanding to Max's threat, Max continued in his low whisper.

"I know who you are and I know who you work for so don't waste my time denying it. All you need to do is tell me who your contact in the Kings is and how I can find them."

Lou swallowed thickly. His hand which was still braced halfway to his mouth shook slightly as he replied in an equally hushed but more fervent whisper.

"If you know who I am then you will know why I can't do that. My other clients find out I ratted the Kings out it would be very bad for business."

"You won't be around to do any business if you don't tell me what I need to know."

Max cocked the hammer on his pistol for emphasis and the small click was barely disguised by the noise of the film. Brennan looked around anxiously but the other filmgoers remained thankfully oblivious to the goings on in the middle row.

"Ok, ok, I'll tell you what I know but it ain't much." Lou conceded, self preservation trumping the repercussions of his confession at that moment in time. "I ran into some tax trouble a few years back and I don't know how they found out, but a fella from the Kings comes to me and he says he can help get the tax man off my back. In return I get a substantial payment in my bank account and his guys come, get what they want, no questions asked. I'm no schmuck, so of course I took the deal. Next thing I know this accountant, Sheldon Horwitz, turns up on my door step. He looks at the books, fills out some forms and I'm back on the straight and narrow as far as Uncle Sam is concerned. Now he handles all my books to make sure Johnny Law leaves me be, but I'm not the only one. Rumour is he does the books for the big players, maybe even the boss man himself."

"This accountant? Horwitz. How do I find him?"

"He lives in Philli, owns his own accounting firm ... H&P Accounting I think. He spends most of his time there and if he ain't there he's at the stadium. He's a big football fan, owns shares in one of the local teams so he's at every game. That's all I know, I swear!"

"I hope for your sake you're telling the truth." Max said as Brennan reached into her pocket, retrieving the syringe she had prepared. Without preamble she ensured there was no oxygen in the syringe before inserting it into a precise point on Lou's neck and emptying the contents.

Lou felt the effects of the drug almost immediately, Humphrey Boggart coming in and out of focus his words long and drawn out. Before he lost consciousness, his chin resting on his chest, he heard max's voice again, the whisper loud and threatening in his drug induced haze as everything faded to black.

"Keep this little chat between us Lou, or a little nap will be the worst of your problems."


	10. the love of the game

**A/N: **I'm sorry this has taken ssssssssoooooooo long, can't even begin to explain why but anyway...here's the next bit thanks to much prodding and begging by a certain secret agent...this one is for you Jack...FINALLY

Haven't had a disclaimer in a while i don't think so let me just reitterate...it's not mine, never will be and i am extremely bummed about that fact.

And as always a huge thankyou to all that reveiwed and even those that didn't...thanks for reading.

* * *

"Seeley!" His mother exclaimed as she dragged him over the threshold into her open arms and vice like embrace.

"Hey, Mom." Booth wheezed as he was crushed by his mother's customary haven't-seen-you-in-ages bear hug.

When she pulled back, she held him at arm's length examining the changes in his appearance since she had seen him. His hair was longer and his normally clean shaven jaw sported the beginnings of a beard. He looked presentable enough, his hair gelled back and out of his eyes but it was a far cry from the clean shaven, and meticulously groomed son she had come to expect. Her gaze shifted to his eyes, their usual twinkle of good humour and life nowhere to be found, replaced with a dull listlessness she did not associate with her son. Her maternal concern was automatically triggered as she had only seen her son like this on one other occasion, just after he returned from his tour with the army. He had told her then that he felt lost; like his life no longer had a purpose without a mission objective and although he was happy to be home he felt foreign in a world he knew well. A deep frown creased her brow as to the cause of this change, worried he might revert back to his old gambling ways to escape his problems.

"What's wrong?" His mother asked as brutally blunt as always, but in a warm tone that bore her concern.

Booth had expected this. His mother had always had a sixth sense when it came to even the slightest change in his mood and he knew he had no chance of masking the hurt Bones' absence caused him. Steeling himself for the impending argument, he squared his shoulders and met her demanding gaze as he answered.

"Nothing." Booth's tone was calm and casual but they both knew he was fooling no one.

"Seeley Booth, you know you can't lie worth a damn." She replied.

"I'm not lying; there is nothing wrong with me."

"Are you gambling again?"

Booth shook his head and bit back a chuckle. His mother had always been as subtle as a bulldozer.

"No." He replied sincerely and although she still seemed a little sceptical, she let the subject drop.

"Trouble at work?"

"Mom, I told you there's nothing wrong with me."

"And I told you you're lying." She replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Look can we just drop this? Where are Dad and Jared?"

Wise enough to know when she was getting nowhere, Jessica Booth let the subject drop, for now. She would find out eventually and she hoped he knew she would be there when he needed someone to talk to.

"In the living room watching the replay of last week's game, The Steelers are up by 12 in the last quarter."

With a brief smile, Booth dropped a kiss on her cheek in thanks as he moved past her, leaving her to shut the door which had remained open through the exchange. He made his way to the living room where a familiar scene greeted him. His father sat in his aged recliner, which was the topic of many arguments between his father and mother. The old, battered chair had been in the same position in front of the television for as long as Booth could remember, despite his mother's pleas to get rid of the hideous thing. His father had always stood his ground, guaranteeing that Old Rusty's comfort could not be matched. Sprawled on the couch to the left of Old Rusty, was Jared Booth, all that Seeley Booth could never be.

Being the first born, Jared's was a hard act to follow. A straight A student throughout his school life, and a gifted football player Jared had no trouble securing a scholarship to the University of Pennsylvania where he left with a degree in engineering and three state championships. He had joined the Navy soon after graduating and had swiftly climbed the ranks. He was now Lieutenant Jared Booth, the chief engineer in charge of one of the largest American warships, the U.S.S Indomitable. With all that in his favour it was obvious why Jared had always been the favourite son, at least as far as his father was concerned.

Booth had been good at school but average compared to Jared. Booth had played basketball but a knee injury late in his senior year had snuffed out any scholarship dreams he had entertained, so his parents had paid his way through college. Eager to pay them back and not really sure what to do with the rest of his life, he too had joined the army barely out of college. He worked hard to become a Ranger and was proud of his accomplishment, but his young and naive mind had not been ready for what he saw and did. Unable to shake the demons of war, his gambling problem began soon after he returned from his tour and he had soon dug himself a hole he could not get out of. His parents had come to his rescue once again, squaring the debts he had accumulated and forcing him into a rehabilitation programme. The job at the FBI came soon after that and Booth thought he was finally becoming a son his parents could be proud of, but then along came Rebecca and consequently, Parker. As happy as Booth was about the birth of his son, for a deeply Catholic family the birth of a child out of wedlock was severely frowned upon. His parents however had said nothing on the subject but deep down Booth knew they had been disappointed with him.

An eruption of complaints at the TV from Jared and his father roused Booth from his unhappy thoughts and caused a small smile to come to his face. Yes, Seeley Booth had grown used to being second best from an early age but that didn't mean he didn't know his family loved him. He knew his father's favouritism was unconsciously expressed and he knew Jared had never tried to encourage it. Booth had never blamed his brother for being himself and although Booth, in those self pitying moments, resented his brother for his achievements, he had come to terms with the fact that he and his brother were two different people. Booth couldn't contain his chuckle as a new round of objections to a bad call made by the referee drew both men from their chairs so they were standing anxiously in front of the television as they watched play continue. The sound of his laugh drew their attention and their previously tense expressions changed as they saw him standing by the door.

"You do know we won right?" Booth asked a grin breaking out on his face.

"It's a wonder that we did with all the bogus calls this idiot of a ref is making!" Jared said smiling as he caught Seeley's hand in his firm grip before pulling him in for a brief hug. "It's good to see you little bro."

"You too Jay." Booth replied before turning to greet his father. "Hey Dad."

"Seeley," Mr Booth said with a quick nod as he shook Booth's hand. "How was the drive up?"

"Thankfully uneventful." Booth replied.

His statement was accompanied by a shrill whistle as the game on screen drew to its conclusion announcing the Steelers victory and his mother's entrance into the lounge.

"Lunch!" she declared, beaming at the sight of all her boys together again.

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The Booth family sat around their kitchen table, laughing at a joke that Jared had just told. The afternoon had been filled with conversation. Stories of Jared's naval adventures, updates of Parker and work at the FBI from Booth, Mr Booth's troubles finding a carburettor for the Carrera GT he was fixing up and Mrs Booth's fight to banish the aphids from her roses. Lunch had come and gone and now Mrs Booth was busying herself around the kitchen making dinner, while the boys sat around the table discussing sports. Jared mostly listened to his father and brother update him on all the football he had missed while he was on the ship. Halfway through a debate about the Steeler's Super Bowl hopes Booth's phone rang. Checking the caller ID and seeing Simms' name, Booth excused himself, opting to take his call on the back porch.

"Booth." He answered as he stepped out into the cool evening air.

"It's Simms, I think we may be on to something."

"You ran the search?" Booth asked incredulously. "What about internal affairs?"

"They fingered Edward Brown. They took him into custody yesterday; word is he's still in the interrogation room, refusing to say a word. I ran the search as soon as I got the clear."

"And?" Booth asked pacing nervously across the porch drawing his mother's attention from inside the house.

"I found a Susan. At least eight transactions, each about two thousand dollars have been transferred from Dr Brennan's account directly to a Susan Taylor. The transactions only started just after Dr Brennan left, which I found suspicious, so I did a little more digging on this Susan Taylor."

"Is she Bones?" Booth asked unable to keep the hope out of his tone.

Simms let out a frustrated sigh before answering. "I can't say for sure. I found a South Carolina birth certificate dated 1956, a social security number and the bank account has been established for thirty-five years."

"So it's not her." Booth stated crestfallen. His mother noticed the change in his demeanour and fought the urge to go outside and see what had him so upset. Instead she remained at her position washing dishes by the sink, tracking her son's movements from the kitchen window.

"I didn't say that," Simms replied. "I can't find a picture of Susan Taylor on the any database, and I cross-referenced that list of locations that you faxed me and they match Susan Taylor's account activity. I can't tell you if this Susan Taylor is your bone lady or not but I have a hunch that she may be the key to finding her."

"And how exactly do I find Susan Taylor?" Booth asked his interest peaked.

"Account activity says she purchased a seat on the 50 yard line for tomorrow's Eagles-Steelers game."

"She's here in Philli?"

"At least until tomorrow, no hotel activity so she must have paid in cash wherever she's staying. The game is your only option."

"Then you need to get me in that game!" Booth ordered.

"There's the problem," Simms said sadly. "The game is near sold out, and you'd have to sell a lung to get anywhere near the fifty yard line. I'm sorry Booth, but the FBI will not cover an expense like that and if you don't mind me saying you're in no position to buy them yourself if you want to make your mortgage payment this month."

"I need to get in that game Simms!"

"Then you need to win the lottery, Booth. You just can't afford it!"

"But I know someone who can." Booth said an idea forming in his head. "Thanks for the help Simms, I'm going to make sure you get a promotion for this."

Before the other man had a chance to reply Booth had already hung up and was hastily searching through his contacts for the man that unbeknownst to him the key to getting his life back. Finding the number and pressing dial, the other phone rang three times before it was picked up by a very confused entomologist.

"Hodgins, I need your help getting Bones back." Booth said.

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Mrs Booth had been watching her son during his conversation. By the look on his face she would hazard a guess it had something to do with whatever was bothering him. However she noticed the change in his disposition as he ended his first call and his good mood only seemed to grow by the end of the second call. He walked back into the kitchen with a smile on his face that Mrs Booth had not seen since his arrival this afternoon.

"Guess which family is going to watch the Eagles-Steelers game tomorrow afternoon!" He announced earning him roars of approval from Jared and his father.

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**Sunday afternoon**

Looking at her surroundings Temperance Brennan decided that this was an excellent opportunity for an anthropological study. As she stood in the middle of more than a thousand roaring supporters of the two teams that crashed violently on the field below, she imagined that this is what it must have been like in the Roman coliseum centuries ago. Mankind, for all their evolution was still mesmerised by overly brutal displays of testosterone, fuelled by the alpha male need to show dominance. It was fascinating really. Not the football itself, the rules of which she barely understood, but the atmosphere the vehement supporters created. Even her, a woman with no interest in the sport whatsoever found herself swept up in the commotion. As an attempt to not look too conspicuous she had donned an oversized green and white football jersey of the home team, her favourite pair of worn denim jeans and white sneakers finished off the outfit. A black baseball cap and dark sunglasses concealed her face without arousing suspicion as it was a warm and sunny day in Philadelphia. One of the men on the field had just passed the line at the end and those supporters dressed in the same colour as her started celebrating around her.

_Ah, _Temperance thought to herself, _The team must score whenever that brown object crosses the line at the end. The other team tries to stop an attack on their side while trying to cross the opposite line themselves. _

Watching both the players and supporters she began to understand the appeal of sports. The supporters themselves never stood alone, on the outside they were a sea of individuals but a single unifying force linked them all giving a sense of security and companionship regardless of background or ethnicity. Together they possessed a strength they could not find alone and even though this realisation was unconscious the strength they received from that realisation was palpable. The football team themselves seemed to almost feed off this strength, performing not only for themselves but for the others relying on them to do well. However caught up in her observations Temperance Brennan did not lose track of the man who sat four rows in front of her and who was objecting to a decision made by the referee as vehemently as those around him. Sheldon Horwitz, was not the man she imagined him to be. Whereas she had imagined a lanky, timid, cold-hearted man, what she found was a tall, very well built, brown haired, blue eyed man that lovingly balanced an eight year old, brown haired, blue eyed girl on his hip. Comparing facial structure and shared genetic markers, Brennan had concluded that the little girl was his daughter. With her father being who he is, she shouldn't have been surprised to see this tender side of a man who did bad things, but she was. She didn't know why but it left her slightly disconcerted. Her focus shifted to field again as the crowd erupted into cheers again as the home team scored again.

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"Aw c'mon!" Jared complained as the Eagles got another touchdown. "Where the hell is the defence?"

"Fast asleep by the looks of things." Mr Booth grumbled, his arms crossed and his brow furrowed with a frown as he watched play continue.

Both were too absorbed in the game to notice that Booth made no contribution to the conversation; someone who did however, was Mrs Booth. Her eyebrow cocked in curiosity she observed her youngest son. As soon as they had entered Lincoln Financial Field he had been quite, unfocused and barley lowered his binoculars from his face. She would have put it down to nervous excitement for the upcoming match but the fact that his binoculars were hardly ever pointed towards the field made her think her son had slightly different motives for coming to this game. His focus, she noted, was rooted to the stands on the fifty yard line on the opposite side of the pitch. Letting out a frustrated growl barely audible above the din of the crowd he removed his binoculars from his eyes excusing himself from the group, saying he needed a soda. His father and brother merely grunted in acquiescence and he was gone before his mother could say a word.

Booth however had no intention of getting a soda. Instead he sprinted to the ticket retrieval desk, it was times like this he thanked god he worked for the FBI. He strode purposely up to the desk, retrieving his badge from his pocket he showed it to the now nervous looking blonde clerk behind the desk.

"My name is Special Agent Seeley Booth, I'm with the FBI and I need your help..." he looked at her name tag before giving her his best charm smile. "Lucy."

"The FBI? Am I in trouble?"

"No Lucy you're not in trouble. I'm undercover, see, and I've been trying to catch an important informant for six months. My intelligence tells me she is somewhere in this stadium but as you can see there are thousands of people in this stadium. I need you to find her for me. You'll be doing you country a great service."

Booth knew she had her when that patriotic spark gleamed in her eye.

"If she is in this stadium I can find her, Sir." Lucy beamed her fingers going to her keyboard.

"I knew you could Lucy. Her name is Susan Taylor."

The click of computer keys soon followed as Lucy searched her database, her grin widening as only one result came back from the search. "Stand J, Row 17, Seat 9 right on the fifty yard line."

"Your country thanks you Lucy." Booth beamed as he pocketed his badge again before turning on his heel heading for Stand J. Lucy's voice calling after him stopped him however.

"Is she a dangerous woman?" she asked, looking slightly afraid.

Booth smiled to placate her. The last thing he needed was her to tell her superiors that there was a terrorist threat in the stadium. "Not at all Lucy, she just knows something very important that the FBI needs to know, that's all. I'm sorry I can't tell you more, it's classified information."

Lucy beamed again, "I understand, Sir. I hope you get what you need."

"Me too, Lucy, me too." Booth replied continuing his journey to Stand J.

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Brennan's sole task this afternoon was surveillance of Sheldon Horwitz during the football game. Her father mean while was trying to find a way into his accounting firm. If they could get the files the accountant had on the other Kings, they didn't have to engage Horwitz directly and after watching him with his daughter, Brennan hopped that was the case. At this stage in the game they were still trying to get a feel for the man before they made their next move. So when his cell phone rang during the second quarter, Brennan watched his movements closely. An angry scowl crossed his features and he seemed unimpressed with what he was being told. The forlorn glance he spared his daughter who was shouting and whooping at the football game did not go unnoticed by Brennan. Ending the call quickly he leant down to inform his daughter of the what looked like bad news and her smile turned into an upset pout. He helped her to navigate their way out of their row and once free from the confined space of the row swung her back onto his hip where she rested her head on his shoulder. Brennan waited a minute before making a move to follow, apologising to those who had to shift out of her way as she exited the row as they clebrated two more touchdowns from their home team. Just as she pushed free of row 17 the half time whistle blew and soon the stairs were flooded with people heading for half-time concessions. She lost sight of Horwitz and cursed inwardly as she took out her phone and dialled her father's number.

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Booth was panting from the sprint to stand J which had started the moment he was out of Lucy's line of sight. As he entered the stand he squinted as the bright sunlight bombarded his eyes. Blinking a couple times until his eyes adjusted, he then searched for the row numbers at the end of each row. The first one he found informed him he was at row 40. Taking the steps two at a time he descended the stand, each step taking him closer to the field.

Row 35...

Row 30...

Row 25...

At row 20 he stopped as his heart rate did nothing but increase. He counted three more rows forward, then eight seats in. In the ninth was the person his was looking for. He just caught sight of a black baseball cap before his vision was obscured by Eagles fans praising their team for another touchdown. When they settled into their seats again Booth was horrified to find the seat he had just been looking at empty, his eyes searched frantically for that black cap again and found it moving along row 17 heading to the opposite stairs. Booth could not lose that black cap as the jeans the woman was wearing or the Eagles jersey were not exactly distinctive features with which to identify her with. He cursed when he lost sight of her as the crowd stood again. After they seated themselves Booth was horrified to see that black cap descending the stairs, heading for the exit at the bottom of the stand. Resuming his two stairs at a time gait he thundered towards the exit on his side, if he was quick he could head her off in the corridor. His plans shattered around him as the half time whistle blew and thirsty football fans flooded the aisle slowing his progress. Booth was not about to let this stop him so he pushed his way forcefully, he couldn't lose that cap. The corridor beyond was filling by the second, the crowd's pace slowing dramatically as the large group was funnelled through the narrow space. Booth craned his neck in search of that cap and caught a glimpse of it before it disappeared into the room beyond, its wearer's face still obscured by the crowd around her. The sight of it renewed Booth's purpose and he pushed harder to get through the wall of people in front of him.

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The hairs on the back of Brennan's neck stood on end as she suddenly had the feeling she was being watched. She hazarded a cautious glance around but found nothing but the throng of people around her. Shrugging the feeling off as paranoia, something she had not experienced before this whole situation began, she looked around to see if she could find Horwitz again as she waited for her father to pick up the phone. With a sigh she realised she was never going to find them in the rapidly filling room that contained the concession and souvenir stands.

Her father answered the phone with a gruff, "Hello"

"Horwitz got a phone call and left the game early. You better get out of there, I lost him in the crowd so I don't have affix on his location; he could be coming back to his office."

"I'm almost done. I'll meet you at the motel in thirty minutes."

"See you there." She replied before hanging up.

Brennan had already directed herself towards the exit. The walk to the motel was only ten minutes from the stadium and she found herself looking forward to some peace and quiet after the excitement of the game.

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Finally extricating himself from the corridor, Booth's head snapped to the left and right searching for that damned cap. For a fleeting moment he thought it had disappeared completely but in a rare moment of space between the crowds he saw the woman's back before the crowd blocked his sight once more. She was heading towards the south exit, he couldn't let that happen. His pushing of patrons began again and ignoring the cries of complaint behind him Booth persevered until he forced his way through to the string of the doors that let the crowd out of the stadium and back into the bright sunshine. Without preamble he charged through the closest doors. The crowd was thinner and more dispersed outside the stadium as only him and a select few people were crazy enough to leave a game like this at half time. Booth in that moment could've cared less if the Steelers won or not, his sole focus was the black cap wearing figure making their way across the parking lot and into the park adjacent to the stadium. This was it, he could catch her in the park. His feet were moving before he registered they were and he was running faster than he ever had in his life. As he entered the park he spotted her instantly, ambling slowly along the path that stretched from one end of the park to the other. Now that he could see her, Booth's pace slowed as his common sense kicked in. Some force that he could only describe as divine intervention made him think about the situation. This woman, whether she was Bones or not, was headed somewhere and his army instincts told him it was better to find out where than to confront her in the open and risk her running off. So with a monumental display of self restraint, he hung back studying the woman in front of him.

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After the door to her motel room clicked shut, Brennan shed her cap and sunglasses before she collapsed on one of the single beds in the room and breathed a sigh of relief as silence finally enveloped her. Today had just affirmed her dislike of crowds and she was reluctant to rejoin the bleating masses anytime soon. Closing her eyes she estimated she had enough time for a short nap before her father retuned but a knock at the door, along with a muffled call of "housekeeping" put an end to that plan. With a groan she heaved herself off her bed and shuffled across the room where she pulled the door open and froze in place. For a moment she thought she was imagining the man standing outside her door, that it was just some sort of twisted apparition that reminded her of that painful night so many weeks ago. His name escaped her lips on a whisper and the spark it ignited in his eyes was enough to ensure her that this wasn't a dream.

"Booth."


	11. revelations and invitations

**A/N: **Shorter this time but enough for a chapter I figured. For Jack again, we had a deal dude and I so kept up my end. On a random note I'm stoked that I used the word lest, I mean come on. Caution, the fluff bunny drugged me and held me hostage for like a week and this is the result of it's many threats..............

Still not mine.

As always thanks for all my reviews.

* * *

His name escaping those lips triggered the want and longing that had consumed him since the moment he found out she was gone. Before she could utter another syllable his lips were on hers, demanding and needy. His right hand lost itself in her newly cut and darkened tresses, pulling her towards him as he deepened the kiss, while his left hand traced a path around her waist until his arm held her flush against him. Brennan's hands came to rest on either side of his head as her lips responded fervently to his. She was lost in sensation; nothing existed but him and the all encompassing joy that his presence caused. Logic and reason fled as she poured everything she had in her into that kiss and she felt him do the dame. The hunger for each other that separation caused was disturbed only by the hunger for oxygen, forcing the two apart. Heavy breathing broke the silence around them as brown eyes met blue. Neither relinquished their desperate hold on the other lest they be separated again. As they clung to each other, he rested his forehead against hers finding solace in the contact. When he spoke his voice broke with emotion as his eyes searched hers for the truth he knew was there.

"I thought I lost you." He breathed, the sound barely audible.

"I was always coming back." Brennan replied just as softly as her thumbs gently stroked his cheeks.

Booth silently thanked his mother for making him save yesterday, but this thought came and went as everything that was Bones standing in his arms, holding onto him for dear life consumed him. She was his world, the only thing that mattered.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

She stiffened in his embrace and released a forlorn sigh as the reality of their situation reared its ugly head and her logic returned. Booth watched as her eyes which were the clearest of blues moments ago clouded as the storm raced within her mind, he could practically see her defensive walls flying back up again. Booth had known her long enough to know that she was shutting herself off again but this time he wasn't going to let her, he needed her. He took comfort in the fact that she had not pulled out of his embrace, leading him to believe she found as much solace in their physical connection as he did. Her voice was soft as she answered him, her eyes down cast.

"I couldn't." She said simply. "I did what I had to do to keep you safe, all of you."

"We would have helped you Bones, you know we would do anything for you. We're family."

"And if anything happened to my family because of me, it would destroy me Booth." Her eyes begged him to understand. Understand like she now did. This was why her parents had done what they had; all they wanted was to keep their family safe, no matter how much it hurt.

"That's why you can't be here." She said with a sigh as she forced herself to let him go.

She moved to the bed where she sat with her head in her hands, irrationally thinking if she didn't see him leave it would hurt less. She hoped he wouldn't put up a fight because she was not sure how much self control she had left but when she heard the unmistakeable click of the closing door she could not help the sob that escaped her lips. It was better this way, she tried to tell herself but that did nothing to quell the fresh pain of having what she truly wanted ripped from her again. She started and her eyes snapped open as a warm hand touched her shoulder. There he was, kneeling in front of her with a look on his face that she could not define. Her eyes flicked to the closed door before returning to his face where she saw his charm smile begin to pull at his lips.

"If you think I'm letting you out of my sight again, you're not as smart as I thought you were Bones." Booth said gently as he wiped away her tears with the pad of his thumb.

"Booth, please." Brennan began, her voice breaking as she gave in to the urge to touch him, threading her fingers through his hair. "I can't let you do this. You have too much to lose, your job, your son. I will not let you throw your life away because of me."

"Parker will only be safe when these guys are taken down, permanently. As for my work, my life...none of it means anything without you."

Brennan was crying again, idly wondering when she had turned into an emotional wreck. She made one last ditch attempt to sway him; she knew she did not have much resistance left, especially when he looked at her like he was now.

"I can't lose you Booth." She admitted softly.

"And I can't go another day without you," Booth replied ardently. "I can't live without knowing that you're alive and safe. I can't protect you if I don't know where you are and if you're ok. I need you Bones, more than I have ever needed anyone in my life. You are my family and without you I am nothing. Please let me stay, let me help you get our lives back."

"Alright." Brennan said so softly Booth almost didn't hear it, but he did and the smile that lit his face caused one to slowly bloom on hers.

So involved were they in each other, neither Booth nor Brennan noticed Max's presence at the door until he spoke, a gentle smile replacing the frown that had creased his features when he first opened the door to find Booth kneeling in front of his daughter.

"I severely underestimated you young man." He said, then chuckled as he took in their surprised expressions.

Brennan looked from Booth to her father then back again, not entirely certain how this was going to play out. Her father was if nothing else a very stubborn, unpredictable person. Booth offered her a reassuring wink before he stood, squaring his shoulders. He had Bones back now and nothing was going to change that, not even Max.

"So, you found us." Max stated simply.

"You're not easy people to find." Booth replied.

"And yet here we are." Max continued.

"Here we are." Booth agreed.

"I take it you're staying to help us catch this bastard."

"Yes, I am."

"Do you understand the sacrifices that have to be made for you to do that?"

"I do."

"And you're willing to make them?"

"I am."

"Do you trust him?" This time his question was directed at Brennan and her answer was immediate.

"With my life."

At her response Max smiled and offered Booth his hand which the young man took and shook firmly.

"Welcome aboard, Booth."

Booth breathed a sigh of relief and turned to find a smiling Brennan, tears nowhere to be seen. He was at her side instantly pulling her into an overjoyed hug. She felt her feet leave the ground as he spun her around, their giddy laughter filling in the room. As her feet touched the floor Booth's phone erupted into sound in his pocket. He fished it out of his pocket and answered it without checking the caller ID.

"Booth." He said still chuckling as he held Bones close.

"Booth where are you? The game is almost over." His mother asked, knowing it did not take that long to get a soda, no matter how long concession queues were.

"Sorry Mom, I ran into an old friend and got kind of side tracked." He winked at Bones as his arm tightened around her. "You guys head home, I'll grab a cab and meet you there later."

"An old friend? Anyone I know?" She asked, her intrigue clear in her tone.

"No Mom, you've never met her."

"Well, we can fix that, why don't you bring 'her' for Sunday lunch?"

Booth rolled his eyes at his mother's behaviour, the woman would not rest until she saw him happily married, to bad Bones didn't believe in marriage.

"I don't think she would want to have lunch Mom, besides something came up and I can't stay the month like we planned."

"What came up?" Booth idly wondered why his mother had never become a reporter, she certainly asked enough questions.

"FBI stuff Mom, you know I can't tell you that."

"Can't you get out of it?" His mother whined.

"No Mom, I can't get out of it."

"Well then, if you're leaving you can at least spend your last day with your family. I'll put out a spread and you can bring your friend."

"Mom, I told you she wouldn't..."

"I didn't hear you ask her Seeley." His mother urged him with her usual subtlety, or lack thereof.

Booth withdrew the phone from his ear and looked down at his partner who was staring at him, a look of curiosity on her face.

"Bones would you like to have lunch and dinner with my family? Feel free to say no."

To both their surprise it was Max who spoke up first. "I think lunch and dinner sounds great. I'm going to try and get a handle on Horwitz's schedule, you were right Honey, he went back to his offices after the game. One person is less conspicuous than three so why don't you two go and enjoy yourselves?"

"Are you sure Dad?" Brennan asked more than a little unsure of herself among normal society. She knew she had made leaps and bounds integrating with normal people but she didn't know if she was ready to face Booth's family. The last thing she wanted to do was embarrass Booth.

"Sure Honey, you two get out of here. Do something normal for once, you deserve it."

"So is that a yes?" Booth asked gradually warming to the idea of introducing Bones to his family.

"I guess." Brennan shrugged while mentally she was panicking.

Booth beamed as the phone came back up to his ear.

"Okay Mom, we'll be there."


End file.
